The Story Behind These Scars
by Sweet-Lemonade
Summary: Kagami has a hard time with Christmas and his birthday, but no one knows why except for his teacher, Alex, and his brother, Himuro. But, what will happen when Aomine starts to get curious? Will he confess to what's been going on, or will he keep it locked up? Dark past, AoKaga, REALLY OOCness, sad plot, somewhat nice Aomine, a little fluff. Don't like, Don't read.
1. Chapter 1

It's been two days since Christmas. I'm so glad. The only downside is that I still have a pile of presents from my team in my living room. I don't want to touch them. I don't even want to look at them at all. I have my reasons for thinking this way. I don't like to talk about it though. It's very painful.

I sigh and start to sort through the gifts, opening the ones that I know will be asked about later. I reach for Kuroko's first, opening it slowly, a blank look on my face. I don't even smile when I see the pair of shoes that I've wanted for a year. I just look down and take a deep, shaky breath. I love these, but the fact that I got them for Christmas hurts me.

There was a sigh from behind me, making me stiffen.

"Kagami, It's me. Alex." I relax and smile back at her, holding the shoes. She just scowls.

"So, you're just _now_ sorting through the presents? I thought that you'd do that earlier." I stick my tongue out at her, making her do the same.

"I didn't think about it until now."

"Yeah, because you were just laying in bed the whole break." This was true. Whenever I get depressed, I just lie in my bed until I feel better.

Alex goes into the kitchen, looking in the fridge.

"Oh, by the way! I invited over all the people who gave you a present!" she shouts from the fridge, shaking her butt a little. I freeze and jump to my feet.

"WHY!?" I could tell that she was smirking. God damn it, Alex.

"Because they all want to know how you liked their gifts to you." I growl and sit down in front of the pile of different colored wrapping paper.

"Alex! Could you get me a pad of paper and a pen please?!" She didn't answer. She just did it. I smile faintly at her and start to open the many gifts, writing down who they're from. This is gonna be a long day…

* * *

><p>"There! I'm done!" I clap my hands together and let out a deep breath, mountains of paper around me. It turns out, everyone was very thoughtful with getting me something. Kuroko got me the awesome blue and red shoes, coach got me a new apron that I desperately needed, Teppei got me a basketball keychain that I can put on my set of keys for my apartment, Hyuga got a tiger poster, and Izuki got me some good socks.<p>

I was about to get to my feet when Alex comes over and smiles evily.

"Oh, that was only from your team~." My eyes widen as she puts down a whole sack of presents as if she's Santa. I sigh and I reach for the nearest gift. My mouth drops when I see who it's from. Midorima.

"Oh, god. What could it POSSIBLY be?!" I quickly rip off the orange paper and open the box, seeing a bowl with rice details inside of it. I grab the note that was on the inside and read it, laughing a bit.

"Merry Christmas, Kagami Taiga. This is your lucky item for the 25th. Please use it when you are making rice. -Midorima." I laugh even more, knowing that he would probably say this is his very serious voice. It was a nice idea though.

I look up at Alex and hand it to her, my smile starting to fade once again.

"We gotta use this bowl when we cook the rice. Midorima would be happy." She nods and pats my head before going into the kitchen. I look down at the new pile and sigh.

"Better get that done quick before everyone comes over~!" I scowl and glare at the back of Alex's head. I WILL get her back for this.

* * *

><p>I just lay there, feeling someone's foot lightly touching my side. I groan and bat it away, turning over onto my other side.<p>

"He doesn't want to get up, coach! What do I do?" Is that...Teppei?

"Just carry him to the couch and we'll wake him up in a little bit!" Coach…?

"Hai! But what if he wants a pillow?" There was a sigh from the kitchen, making me uneasy. Coach was in the kitchen, probably cooking.

"Then just let him sleep in your lap. You'll like that more than Kagami."

"Hai, hai! Will do!~" There was a hint of excitement in Teppei's voice. I groan and turn onto my back, opening my eyes slowly. I take in the sight of my plain ceiling before I sit up, seeing my team in my living room. My eyes widen.

"What are you guys doing here? You're not supposed to come until 5." They all smile and laugh. I tilt my head and look at the clock, seeing that it's 5:10. I scowl and sigh, getting to my feet.

"Sorry. I've had a… busy day."

"Kagami." I jump when I hear Kuroko from behind me. I look at him and fake a smile.

"Yeah, Kuroko?"

"It looks like you just opened your gifts today." I blink, trying to act stupid. I open my mouth to say something when the doorbell rings.

"Coming!" I shout, noticing that all of the wrappings were gone and all the things are put back. The tiger poster was put up on the wall. I shake away the thought and open the door, seeing Midorima, Takao, and Kise. They all smile at me, even Midorima. I smile back and let them in.

"Welcome. Thank you for the bowl, Midorima. And the headphones, Takao, were the ones that I wanted! And thank you so much, Kise for the picture of all of us together." They all smile even more as they walk in.

"It was a pleasure, Kagami~!"

"I knew that you were looking at those headphones!"

"I hope that my gift to you is of use to you." I nod at all of them and was about to close the door when I hear a familiar voice.

"Are you gonna close the door on your own brother?" My eyes widen and I look at the doorway, seeing Himuro and Murasakibara. I smile and hug my theoretical brother and smile at the giant that goes with him everywhere.

"It's so good to see you two! Thank you so much for the skateboard. It's so cool! I'm gonna hang it up on my wall!" Murasakibara smiles, but Himuro knows better. He just smiles sadly at me. I smile happily and let them in, closing the door.

* * *

><p>"Is this everyone?" Everyone shakes their heads. I scowl and see Kise on his phone.<p>

"We're only missing Momoi and Aomine. Akashi can't make it." I cheer inwardly, not really knowing what to say about the blue boxers that were in my EXACT size. I don't wanna ask and I don't wanna know. I see Alex shrug and get to her feet, bringing out all the food that I helped coach and her prepare. When Midorima sees that we're using his bowl, I see his eyes lighten up a little bit. I smile and set it down in the middle of the table.

Once everything was out, I sit down. Kuroko sat next to me. I gulp when he kept on looking around my house. Everyone was chatting and having a great time, but me. I wanted this to end. Now. I didn't want to open any Christmas gifts let alone look at them.

Kuroko leans in close to me, his breath tickling my ear. I raise an eyebrow at this.

"How did it take you so little time to take down all your Christmas decorations? It has only been two days." I feel myself go pale and I was about to answer with an excuse when there was a knock at the door. I get to my feet and run down the hall, happy that whoever it was that was at the door came at the best time. I open the door and smile, seeing Momoi and Aomine. Of course, Aomine looked bored as usual. My eyes widen a little when there was a small bag in Momoi's hand and a guilty look in her eyes.

"Merry late Christmas, Kagami! Sorry we're late, but we had to pick up a present for you." I smile more and hug Momoi, feeling bad that she went to all this trouble. Look, I'm not completely heartless when it comes to Christmas. I buy everyone a gift I think they'll like and just hope and pray no one gives me anything in return.

"Oh, thanks you guys. You didn't have to do that." I put my chin on Momoi's shoulder, not thinking that Aomine would see the sad look that was making it's way on my face.

"Well, of course we had to! You gave me those amazing bath soaps and facial washes and Aomine a new pair of Jordans. And the best ones too!" I pull away from Momoi, the fake smile on my face.

"Well, I just thought that since you helped me when I needed shoes that it was really nice of you to help out." I look over at Aomine and see the strange look on his face. I just brush the thought aside and let them in, sitting back down next to Kuroko. Aomine decides to take the seat that was on the other side of me while Momoi sits down next to Kuroko and Kise. The two bluenettes beside me were both silent, making me uneasy. I just hope they don't wise up and ask me what's going on.

* * *

><p>I open my eyes when I feel someone flick my head. This annoyed me.<p>

"Who just flicked me?" I ask, a _tone_ to my voice.

"You were falling asleep, Bakagami. God, and to think we came only for you to fall asleep." I scowl at the sound of Aomine's voice. I open my eyes and look at him.

"I haven't slept in 4 days. Bear with it." The Touou ace just looks at me with a puzzling look on his face.

"Why didn't you sleep? What, did you wanna see Santa~?" A smirk made it's way onto his face, making my scowl harden.

"For your information, I never believed in Santa." Aomine just pouts in a mocking way.

"Awe~. Did someone see their parents put the presents under the tree~?" I growl.

"No, it's because…" I go silent, leaving Aomine to wonder what I was about to say.

"It's because why?" I just look away from him, locking eyes with Alex to see the disappointed look on her face. I look down at the small bag in my lap, feeling even worse. I'll just wait until everyone leaves and just hide it away with the rest of my presents from years before. That is until Alex just HAD to say something.

"Hey, guys! Kagami has one last present to open from Momoi and Aomine! I wonder what it is!" Everyone agrees. Momoi just starts to giggle. I shoot a glare at Alex and see that Himuro was sitting next to her, smiling as well.

I gulp and pick up the present, opening it carefully. I sigh inwardly before I take the tissue paper covered rectangle out of the bag. I then saw another rectangle wrapped up too. They got me two things? Now I feel even worse. I take off the paper slowly, closing my eyes a little. That's when I saw the shiny metal. My eyes snap open, my mouth dropping. I pull off the paper in one swift movement, seeing if my hunch was correct. It was. They got me a 5th generation iPod touch.

I just sit there, my mouth hanging open, no sound coming out of my mouth. Everyone started to laugh.

"Ya know, there's a second present in there." I nod and reach back into the bag, quickly unwrapping the second gift. I think I stopped breathing at the sight of my favorite quote on the back of a basketball themed otterbox. It said, "Life is about challenges. It's perfect if I can't win!"

I cover my gaping mouth with my hand, my new iPod to replace my stupid nano and otterbox in my other hand.

"Holy shit. This is amazing." I mutter, not moving a single inch. Everyone started to laugh again. This is the thing I wanted the most, and yet...I wanted to cry so badly. I hold back the tears and put my new iPod in it's case. I look at Momoi and then Aomine, a huge, fake smile on my face.

I'm not ungrateful or anything, I just really do NOT like Christmas. And for them to do this for me, it's sending me over the top. I get up and hug Momoi, thanking her and then go over to Aomine, sitting back down.

"Uh…I don't really…Thank you." He raises an eyebrow and puts his hand out. I laugh a little and take his hand, giving him a bro-hug. It was very quick and afterwards, we went back to normal. I glared at him slightly, but he didn't. He just kept the puzzling look on his face. I gulp a little and turn away from him, clenching my wrist tightly. I just hope he doesn't ask me anything.

* * *

><p>"Bye guys! Thank you for coming!" I shout, waving my hand as everyone leaves my apartment. Kuroko gives me a strange look before he walks into the elevator along with everyone else. I close the door and sigh, putting my back against it and sliding down to the floor. Alex comes in front of me, her hands on her hips. I look up at her, sadness in my eyes.<p>

"Why did you have to do that?" I ask, my voice quiet and pitiful. My teacher sighs and kneels down, putting her arms around my neck. I will myself to not cry and hug her tightly, needing this really bad.

Once she pulls away, she smiles faintly at me and goes into the kitchen to clean up. I get up and follow her, starting to talk.

"Alex, could you please not do that ever again?"

"Hm? Why not?"

"Because...it was so painful." I see how Alex was about to say something when there was a knock on the door. I shrug and walk over to my front entrance, looking out the peep hole to see who it was. I froze in fear. It was my father.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you liked it...sorta. This is gonna be like a really depressing story...WITH A HAPPY ENDING! I PROMISE! Please don't hate me if Kagami is a little too OOC for you. It's supposed to go along with his past. So, please review, favorite, follow, whatever you want. Just please give me a little feed back. <strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**In this Chapter, you'll find out only a sliver of Kagami's sad back story. Be prepared to hate someone. **

* * *

><p>"I would like to thank you again, Alexandra, for taking care of my son while I was away for so long. You can leave now." I continue to look down at my hands, my hair shadowing my face.<p>

"It was my pleasure, Mister Kagami, but I would like to stay a little longer if that's okay with you." I cross my fingers that dad lets her stay, but feel my hopes get dashed down once he speaks.

"I'm sorry, but I haven't seen Taiga in so long that I was hoping to be able to have some…alone time with him." I shudder at the words 'alone time'. I look up slightly to see a scowl on Alex's face. I look over at my dad and see the challenging look in his crimson eyes. I gulp as he looks down at me, his smile evil like always.

"Taiga, would you please start to clean up while I talk to Alexandra, please?" I nod and get to my feet, grabbing the bowls that were spread out all over the place. I go into the kitchen and start to wash everything, listening in on their conversation.

"I would suggest that you leave before I ruin your reputation." Dad wasn't lying. He's a very powerful man and can do anything he wants whenever he wants.

"I care about Taiga and I don't like the thought of leaving him alone with after everything you've done." There was venom in Alex's voice as she spoke. I feel the tension in the room rising quickly as they both didn't say a word. I look out into the living room at them, seeing that dad was about to say something when there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it." Dad got up and went to the door before I could protest.

"Oi, where'd Kagami go? Who are you?" The voice of Aomine on the other side of the door made me relax.

"Hm? I am Kagami. Who exactly are you looking for?"

"Kagami Taiga. Who the hell are you?" I quickly run over and move my dad out of the way and fake a small smile.

"Hey, Aomine. What is it?" The Touou ace had a confused look on his face.

"Who was that?" I look down before answering.

"That was my dad. He just came back from America." His eyes widen and he pats my back, a smile on his face.

"Hey, congrats with that. Must be nice seeing your dad, huh?" I nod slowly, my eyes directed to my shoes. "Kagami…"

"Hm? What is it?" I look up and see the hard scowl on Aomine's face.

"I want to talk to you." My eyes widen and I was about to reject, but was pulled into the hall before I could. Aomine shut the door and looked at me, his hands shoved into his pockets.

"Why did you look so upset when Momoi gave you our present to you? Why did it look like you were about to start sobbing when you opened it? And why did you look at the fucking ground when I asked who your dad was?" I turn away, closing my eyes.

"It's nothing. I'm just ti-."

"If you say it's because you're tired, I will punch you in the face. Tell me the real reason." I open my eyes and look at him, a sad smile on my face.

"I'm sorry, but I can't. It hurts too much." The scowl disappeared from Aomine's face. He opened his mouth to probably ask me what I meant by that, but was cut off when my dad opened the door and whistled.

"Taiga. You gotta finish cleaning up. Oh, and say goodbye to Alexandra. She's going home." I nod and walk into my apartment, leaving Aomine behind.

Right after I get inside, Alex pushes past my dad and fast walks out into the hall, obviously pissed off. I swallow hard and go into the kitchen, getting a glimpse of dad's satisfied smirk. He turns to look at me, his blood red hair slicked back to show his forehead. Dad comes into the kitchen, putting his hands on my shoulders. I gulp, but continue washing the dishes.

"How'd you like your Christmas this year?" This was a trick question, wasn't it?

"It was just like every year. Awful and painful." Dad went silent for a moment before putting his chin on my head, since he is a LOT taller than me. He's 6'10.

"Huh, so you're ungrateful as always, you little shit." I feel a vein in my head throb a little.

"I'm not ungrateful. You know I hate Christmas. After all, you know that you are part of the reason for that." The moment I said that, I regretted it. One moment, I was doing the dishes, and the next, I'm on the ground. My cheek hurts, really bad. I look up at my dad, tears starting to form in my eyes as he towers over me, a menacing aura around him.

"Don't you dare disrespect me again, Taiga. I still can't believe your mother would name such a weakling after such a strong animal, Tiger." He takes a step closer. I try to crawl away, but there was no where I could go.

"Now I have to punish you for what you said." My eyes widen.

"N-no, please! I'm sorry!" Of course, he didn't listen. I hold my breath as I see him bring his foot back. I squeeze my eyes shut and wait for the blow.

* * *

><p>"Hello, Kagami. You look tired." I nod slightly, sitting down in my seat, winching. Kuroko looks at me weirdly and sits down in his seat.<p>

"Are you okay?" I nod and give him a small smile, making him even more worried.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Kuroko." He just sighs and turns to face the chalk board.

I'm not okay. I have a black eye, five bruises on my left arm and eight on my right. There's a huge ass bruise on my side and I think that one of my ribs is fractured. That's not all, but I think you get the point. I'm beaten up pretty badly. You may be wondering how the fuck Kuroko didn't notice. Well, it's because I've learned to use makeup to hide everything that happens to me. I learned when I was 6. One of my dad's co-workers taught me since dad didn't want anyone to question why I look so shitty. Even when he told her to teach me, all he said was, "Taiga is an idiot and likes to provoke people who are twice the size of him."

That's not true. It's all a lie. All my dad ever says is lies. Nothing true comes out of his mouth except his thoughts and opinion of me. Alex tells me not to listen to him, but…he's my dad. I want to make him proud, but I know that that will never happen. Ever since I was born, that was clear.

"Kagami." I blink and look at Kuroko once again.

"Yeah?"

"We have a practice match today. Remember? With Touou?" My eyes widen.

"Are you serious?" He just nods and turns away.

"It seems you forgot. You better not be late. It's right after school." I gulp.

"A-after school?"

"Yes. Is there a problem?" I sit there for a moment, shaking my head.

"No, there's no problem. I'll be there." I'm screwed.

* * *

><p>I fidget as coach starts to count us off once we were at Touou. My eyes were darting around the room, looking for any sign of Aomine coming.<p>

"Kagami!" I jump and look down at my coach, gulping.  
>"Y-yes coach?"<p>

"I called your name seven times and you didn't answer!" I rub the back of my head and was about to make up and excuse when the door was opened with a slam accompanied by Momoi yelling at the one I didn't want to see at this moment in time. Aomine.

I whip my head around and see a scowl on my rival's face as he came stomping over to me. He grabs the collar of my shirt and slams me into a wall, making me cry out in pain.

"What the fuck did you mean when you wouldn't tell me what was going on?! Huh!?" I grab his wrist as he starts to slide me up the wall.

"What does it matter to you?" I whisper, looking at anything but his eyes.

"LOOK AT ME! What is going on!? Why was your dad there?! And why the hell did you look so fucking scared!?"

I watch in silence as both his team and mine come running over to separate us. Two of his teammates had to hold him back while I slide down to the floor, coughing a little. Aomine just continues to yell and scream at me, something in his eyes that I didn't understand.

Kiyoshi and coach help me to my feet and guide me towards the locker room.

"Kagami, I'm gonna check to see if you got hurt anywhere, okay?" My eyes widen as Riko starts to take off my shirt. I pull it back over me and look her in the eye, shaking my head.

"I want Kiyoshi to leave before you check. I'm self conscious." Coach nods and looks at Kiyoshi and nods her head towards the door. He sighs and leaves us alone. Riko starts to take off my shirt once more. I gulp and grab her hands before she could see anything.

"Riko, please don't freak out. I will explain once you see, okay?" She gives me a confused look, but nods anyways. I sigh and take off my shirt, showing nothing. She was puzzled. I could tell by the look she was giving me.

I get to my feet and grab a wash cloth, wetting it before sitting back down. I put the cloth on my side where the bruise is and wash off the makeup concealer. As I do this, coaches eyes widen to the size of dinner plates.

"Kagami…?" I shake my head and wash my chest and back, showing her even more bruises. I look away from her horrified face. She covers her mouth, tears starting to form at the sight of my beaten body.

"I don't want you to tell ANYONE about this. Please, do that. Can you?"

"Kagami, what happened…?" I look down and sigh.

"My dad beat me up…" I whisper very quietly. Riko gasps and backs away, her tears rolling down her face.

"Why would he…?"

"Look. I don't want to talk about it and I don't want you to tell anyone about this. If you, I'll hate you forever. And I don't want to have to do that." I get to my feet and put my shirt back on and walk out, leaving my coach sobbing on the floor.

* * *

><p>"<span>Seirin Member Change<span>!" I look over as everything goes still. I see coach standing at our seats, the tear marks noticeable on her face. I feel bad.

"Kagami, switch out." My eyes widen and I look at Izuki.

"But, I don't wanna! Why are you guys taking me out?!" Izuki just pats my back.

"Your dad came to pick you up. Apparently he didn't know you were coming here." I freeze and look at the exit and see my dad standing in the doorway, that god damn charming, fake smile on his face.

I feel the smile I had on my face drop as he comes over to me. I look around and see that everyone was admiring how tall he was, except for Aomine and Riko. Dad puts his hand on my shoulder, squeezing it a little too tightly and smiles even more.

"I feel a little hurt, Taiga. You didn't let your old man know that you were having a practice match. I would have come and watched you. I have been gone for quite a while. I would love to see what my son likes to do for fun." I swallow around the large lump in my throat and look away, going over to the benches.

"Sorry, dad. I forgot about it until today. You can watch now if you want." He just nods and sits down on the bleachers, turning on his bluetooth. I sit down and just look at the ground, feeling my energy getting sucked out of me by that monster I call a father. If only he didn't come back.

* * *

><p>"Kagami, get back in. Kuroko is a little fatigued." I nod and get to my feet, walking out to where I was in front of Aomine. I smile at him, but he doesn't smile back like usual. He just continued to scowl.<p>

"What are you scowling about? You should be having fun?" He just growls and glares at me.

"I can tell that you're not having fun. You're not even focused. You fucking liar." I scowl and dribble the ball as we start the game again.

"What does it matter? This is only a practice match."

"That's not the point! What the fuck is going on?!" Aomine hisses through his teeth. I raise an eyebrow and smirk.

"And why should I tell someone like you? I mean, for someone who lost to a guy like me, you're probably not trustworthy." This sent him over the edge.

My eyes widen as I see his fist coming at me at high speed. I try to move, but I was too slow. He punched me in the face, sending me to the ground. I cry out and hold my face, looking up at him. Aomine's eye was twitching. He brought his foot up and slammed it down on my bad side. My eyes went wide and my mouth fell open, a loud scream coming out. Once he takes his foot off, I grip onto my shirt until my knuckles went white. I squeeze my eyes shut and scream again, my whole body shaking violently.

"K...Kagami…?" Aomine's voice was the only thing that I could hear clearly. I feel someone grabbing my arms and putting them up as someone else takes my shirt off.

"N-no! D-Don't!" I hadn't put the makeup back on. I open my eyes slightly and see everyone's shocked faces. Coach kneels down neck to me with a wash cloth in her hand. I look at her, fear in my eyes. She puts the cloth on my face and wipes off the makeup, uncovering my black eye. She then moved to my arms and legs, the bruises showing themselves.

I gulp as I feel everyone's eyes on me. I stiffen when I feel someone pick me up.

"I'll take care of him. I guess he provoked someone again. I would have thought that he'd have learned his lesson when he was 8, but I guess not." Dad sighs and starts to carry my almost lifeless looking, beaten body away.

"I will take him to the hospital at once." I let my head flop out of his arms and look at Aomine, seeing the saddened look in his eyes. I mouth the words, "I can't tell you. It hurts too much" to him before I am carried out of the room by the person I hate, but wish I could love.

* * *

><p><strong>See, I told you that you'd hate someone at the end of this. Gosh, I'm really hauling a**. If only I could do this with homework and all my other stories then that'd be amazing. <strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, so I'm so happy that you guys like this (even though Kagami is getting beat up and stuff) But thank you so much for your feed back! ^^**

* * *

><p>I open my eyes to see the plain ceiling of my apartment. I groan as I try to sit up, pain shooting through every part of my body. Why does my WHOLE body hurt again? Oh, yeah. How could I forget…<p>

I remember getting carried home after the incident at Touou and dad throwing me on the ground before he started to beat me. He said that he had to punish me for giving away that I was beat up. He just kept shouting insults at me and he just kept hitting me. I remember how he said that mom should have never gave birth to something as disgraceful as me. That's when I blacked out from the pain.

I had then woken up in a hospital. I stayed awake for five minutes until I was put back to sleep by the nurses. So…why am I home? How long was I asleep? And what has dad done to me while I was asleep?!

I grit my teeth and sit up, gripping onto the window sill for support. I look around the room and see various gifts from mine and Aomine's team. My eyes land on the biggest bouquet of flowers with a small bear sitting next to the expensive looking vase.

I take the covers off and see that almost every part of my body was covered with medical tape or gauze. I get to my feet slowly and walk over to the present that had caught my eye and grab the card, seeing who it's from. My eyes widen when I see that the one who gave me this was Aomine.

The card read, "Dear Kagami. I'm so sorry for how I acted. I wanted to apologize in person, but you were asleep. Please call me when you wake up. I would like to come by and see you. Again, I'm so, so sorry. I hope you can forgive me. Aomine." I stare at the number at the bottom of the note for awhile before get back up and go into the living room, seeing that dad was gone. Thank god.

I grab the phone and dial the number, not knowing what time it was. There was only two rings before Aomine picked up.

"Hello?" I gulp before I say anything.

"Hey, Aomine." God, I sounded awful. My voice was hoarse and sounded like it went through a cheese grater.

"Kagami? You're finally up?"

"What do you mean? How long was I out?" I hear shouting in the background.

"One second. Let me go outside. I was in the middle of practice."

"Oh, sorry." He laughed a little, a part of my dying a little.

"Don't be sorry! I did ask you to call." I guess he's right. I could make out the sound of Momoi asking him who he was on the phone with. He said my name and it sounded like all hell broke loose. Everyone started to shout my name and the words, "Get well soon, Okay!" I smile faintly as the shouting fades. I'm guessing Aomine went outside.

"Okay, what was the question again?"

"Oh, right. How long was I asleep?" I lift up my arm and sniff myself, gagging a little.

"You've been asleep for about four days. No one knows how you could've slept that long with only a little anesthesia." I look down at the ground, not saying a thing. Then Aomine brought up something that shocked me.

"They also found that you had a broken rib and a broken finger. Man, the guys that roughed you up probably had a grudge or something." I nod slightly, a saddened look on my face.

"Yeah, but I can't remember what they looked like though." Aomine just clicks his tongue.

"I'm sorry for how I acted, by the way."

"No, it's fine! As my dad always says, I tend to provoke…people…" My voice trailed off as I said that, another pang of hurt hitting my heart. There is a silence between us for awhile until Aomine speaks.

"Well, I'm gonna come over to check on you. I'll see you in a bit!" Before I could say anything, Aomine hangs up.

* * *

><p>I pace the room as much as possible until I hear the doorbell ring. I gulp and go over to the door, opening it. Aomine smiled slightly at first, but it disappeared at the sight of me covered with bandages. He comes in and closes the door, the look in his eyes that I can't understand.<p>

""Kagami, I'm sorry." I just shrug and walk into the living room, sitting down on the couch.

"It's not your fault, Aomine. So, don't apologize for something that you didn't do." The dark skinned teen just sighs and sits down next to me, his brows furrowing.

"What's that smell?" I look down and scoot away.

"Well...I just woke up and called you. I didn't have time to shower before you got here." Aomine laughs and puts his arm around my shoulder, just like at our first basketball match. He rubs his fist on my head, making me whimper.

"That hurts…" I mutter, but he heard me. Aomine quickly stopped and smiled happily at me. I fake a smile and get to my feet, popping my my back and instantly regretting it. I yelp and grit my teeth in pain, clenching my fists.

"That sure was smart." I scowl at Aomine who just laughed at his own joke. What the fuck is wrong with him? Why is he acting like this? It's as if he went back in time to when he loved basketball and wasn't self-centered, just like Kuroko told me he used to be.

"What's going on with you? You aren't acting as self-centered like usual." Aomine scowls.

"I was thinking that you'd like me to be a bit nicer to you since you got beat up and didn't tell anyone and then I just made it worse. So, you want me to act like a jerk?" I shake my head, putting my hands up in a means of defence.

"N-no! I was just wondering because it's so…unlike you." I gulp as Aomine just raises an eyebrow and gets to his feet, standing in front of me.

"How is it unlike me, Kagami?" My eyes widen as an evil smirk makes it's way on Aomine's face. I back up, fear overtaking my senses. The smirk looked like the one my dad always wears when he's around me, alone. I start to shake as I see Aomine turn into my dad, ready to hit me. I yelp and quickly sit down on the ground, taking a defensive position.

"P-please don't hurt me!"

"Kagami? Are you okay?" I open my eyes and see how worried Aomine looked. I smile nervously and get to my feet, shaking still. Aomine just scowls and grabs my arm, leading me into the bathroom. I gulp as he pulls me inside and closes the door, staring at me.

"Get undressed." My eyes widen and I blush.

"W-what?!" Aomine just rolls his eyes.

"Not like that, baka! I'm not a pervert!" I raise an eyebrow and cross my arms over my chest.

"Oh, really?" He scowls and groans.

"Fine! I kinda am! But I wouldn't fucking perv on you when you're all vulnerable and shit." I scowl along with him and huff, starting to unwrap my arms.

"You better turn around." He just rolled his eyes and went over to the door and stared at it.

"Happy?"

"Not really. I would be happier if I didn't have to take off all these bandages." Aomine went silent, his shoulders slumping a 's going on with him? He's usually not like this. But…he acts like he cares. And that look in his eyes that he gives me…I don't get it. I've never seen a look like that come from anyone. I just can't put my finger on it.

* * *

><p>I step into the warm spray of the shower and sigh, relaxing my body. I look out of the shower glass and see Aomine sitting on the floor, not looking at me at all. He looked…really angry. Did I do something? Is it because I called him? Is he gonna yell at me?<p>

I gulp and try to shake my thoughts away, but can't. They just keep coming into my mind.

"Thank you, Aomine." I whisper, trying to get him to calm down. The Touou ace looks at me and smiles, but I saw through it. It was a fake. And I would know since I fake a smile the most.

"It's no problem." He looked away, the anger on his face crystal clear behind that god damn smile.

"Why are you angry? Did I do something? Is it because I don't remember who beat me up? I-is it because I called you during practice?" Aomine's eyes widen and he got to his feet, staring at my face.

"No, why would I be mad at you? And how did you know that I was upset?" I look down, not knowing what to say.

"Alex says I can read people really well." That was true, because no one can read me.

Aomine nods and pops his neck, yawning a little.

"That's cool. Hey, do you mind if I take a nap? I didn't sleep good last night."

"Sure. You can use my bed." He just laughs and walks towards the door.

"After you've been sleeping in it for four days straight? It probably has your stink on it!" I scowl.

"Fine, you can sleep on the god damn couch." He laughs more, holding his gut.

"I will and by the way, Kagami. Nice ass~." He winks at me before walking out into the living room, leaving me alone, blushing like mad.

"GO DIE!"

* * *

><p><strong>I think this is a good place to stop off. Don't you just hate Kagami's dad? He's an asshole. But don't worry, he's gonna get what's coming to him. <strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, so...I don't know what to say. XD Well, here's the next chapter.**

* * *

><p>I step out of the shower and begin to wrap the bandages around my arms when I hear the front door open and slam close. I stiffen and quickly put my clothes on, running out of the bathroom. I see my dad with an unopened bottle in his hands, a scowl on his face. I gulp as he starts towards me, but then stops when I hear Aomine shout from my room.<p>

"Oi! Kagami! Your room smells so gross!" I smile awkwardly and side-step away from my dad, making him scowl even more. I go into my room and look at Aomine who was sitting at my desk, throwing the dying flowers out the window of my room. I smack him and grab one of the vases he was gonna drop.

"Idiot! What are you doing?!"

"The stupid flowers were dying! What was I supposed to do?!"

"Throw them away!"

"I didn't want to get up!" I was about to shout back at Aomine, but stopped myself when I hear my dad come in.

"Oh, Taiga. You invited a friend over? What a nice surprise!" I swallow and look over at my dad, a fake smile on my face.

"Hey, dad! Welcome home." I look down at Aomine and see a smile on his face. The poor, arrogant, bastard. He doesn't know what's really going on. My dad is really saying, "What the fuck, Taiga!? Why is he here?! Did I say you can invite someone over?! You're so stupid!"

And I'm pretty much saying, "I'm sorry. Please don't hurt me." But I know that he won't do anything while someone's here. It's too risky for him. He could lose everything.

"Why don't we go into the living room, hm?" Aomine and I nod and follow my dad out of my room, leaving behind all the dead flowers.

* * *

><p>I shift in my seat as Aomine and my dad chat happily, not really paying attention to me. I gulp as I see dad get up and grab a short, thick, glass and grabbed the unopened bottle of scotch. I watch closely as he pours the amber liquid into the glass until it was filled to the top. I see the confused look on Aomine's face form as my dad downs the whole glass in one breath, slamming the empty cup down on the coffee table.<p>

Dad smiles at both of us, still completely sober. He's drank alcohol so much, it takes a lot to get him even a little buzzed.

"So, your name's Aomine, right?" The Touou ace nods, looking at me from the corner of his eye. My dad just smiles.

"Well, it's nice to finally be able to talk to the one who left Taiga the most flowers." I look down, putting a smile on my face.

"About that…" I look over at Aomine, who was rubbing the back of his neck, "It was sort of, like, an apology gift."

Dad just laughs, slapping his knee. I smile and take the bottle from his hands, pouring him another glass full of scotch.

"What do you have to apologize for?" My eyes widen as my dad caught himself as those words left his mouth. Aomine scowled.

"What do you mean? This is your own son we're talking about." I gulp as my dad turns his charismatic mask into his angry self.

"Taiga is fine. He's a tough boy and can take almost anything." Aomine laughs and lounges on the couch, making both my dad and I confused.

"You know, I've been listening to you very, VERY carefully. And I can't help but notice that you haven't, not once, called Taiga your son." My eyes widen, but my dad was very calm about this.

"Well, you already know that he's my son, so why do I have to give you proof?" Aomine scowled even more.

"Yes, but still. My dad still calls me son. And everyone else I know gets called son by their fathers...well, except for Momoi, but still. I've never met anyone like you." Dad was unfazed, but Aomine wasn't done, "It seems like you want to disown your own son."

My eyes widen as I see a vein in dad's head throb. He downed his glass and got to his feet, straightening his suit, and disappeared down the hall. I look at the smirk on Aomine's face, one thought going through my head. I'm so dead.

* * *

><p>"Bye, Aomine! Get home safely!" The basketball idiot just waved his hand.<p>

"Yeah, yeah. I will. Don't worry so much, Bakagami." I scowl at the stupid nickname I had been given.

"GO DIE THEN!" Aomine laughs and turns on his heel, walking backwards now.

"I'll try my very hardest!" I sigh and wave as he turns back around.

"Whatever! Just go home already!" I close the door when I hear no respond. I start towards the kitchen to make dinner when I hear the drunken stumble of my father coming down the hall. I gulp and start the prep work for the food. I stiffen when I feel my dad swing his arm around my shoulders, the stench alcohol permeated his breath.

"Hey, Taiga~. Let's skip dinner~." I start to shake as I feel his erection grinding against my ass.

"No, I'm very hungry and you need to sober up!" I try to push him off of me, but he just grabs my hand and throws me on the ground, scowling down at me.

"I wasn't asking. I was telling you. Now fucking go into the bedroom and get undressed!" I gulp and nod, getting to my shaky feet.

"Y-yes, dad…" I walk to the bedroom, him on my heels. Once I get inside the room, he pushes me forward, locking the door behind him. He smirks, making me go rigid with fear.

"D-dad. C-can we please not do this? P-please?" I hope and pray he says yes, but tears fill my vision as he just shakes his head, coming close to me. He grabs the collar of my shirt and pulls me up, throwing me onto the queen bed. And before I could even make a sound, it was already over. Nothing's gonna make him stop now. I just squeeze my eyes shut as I feel him take off my clothes along with his. I just hope this goes by quickly, unlike all the other times.

"Why are you crying, Taiga? You know you deserve this after everything you've done." I nod, letting a single sob escape my mouth before my dad got started.

* * *

><p>"Kagami, you don't look too good. Are you okay?" I nod, looking down at Kuroko, a smile on my face.<p>

"Yeah, I'm fine. My back just hurts a little." That was an understatement.

"Oh, by the way. Coach says that you don't have to come to practice until your wounds have healed." My eyes widen and I stop walking to the school's gym.

"You're telling me this NOW?!" Kuroko nods, a slight smile on his face.

"I still wanted you to watch us. We've all gotten better since you were asleep." I scowl at this.

"Thanks for that." My shadow nods and opens the doors to practice, revealing everyone already there. They all stop what they're doing and look at us, smiles appearing on their faces.

"Kagami! You're back!" Within no time, I was surrounded by my teammates. I smile slightly as they all hug me. That's when I see it. All the Generations of Miracles sitting on the bleachers, smiling. I smile even more and go over to them once my team was done.

"Hey guys! What're you doing here?" Akashi just chuckles and puts a hand on my shoulder, making me a little uneasy.

"Well, Taiga, we had heard from Daiki here that you'd come to school today and we all wanted to say get well soon instead of sending a card." I feel my body stiffen a little at the mention of my given name. I winch as I feel someone pat my back, hard. I look to see who it was only to see a Yosen jacket.

"Get better. I heard that eating snacks is good when you're beaten up." I look at Murasakibara with a confused look on my face.

"What the fuck…?" I jump when I feel something being thrusted into my hands by bandaged fingers. I look at Midorima and see him push his glasses up on his nose, turning away from me.

"It's your lucky item of the day, Kagami. I hope you like it." I smile and open the small box. My smile widened when I see a small model of a rickshaw, just like the one my mom used to have…

"Whoa! Midorima! This…this is awesome! Mom used to have one that looked just like this!" I see the small smile that made it's way on the shooting guard's face.

"KAGAMI~! I'M SO SORRY YOU GOT HURT~!" My eyes widen and I quickly duck as the blonde jumps at me, trying to hug me.

"Kise! Please don't jump at me! It hurts!" Kise just starts to sob and wraps his arms around my middle, sobbing into my shirt. I sigh and pat his head.

"Kagami! I'm so sorry! Please get better!" I roll my eyes and smile, pulling him off.

"Don't worry, I don't plan on running into the guys that beat me up again." He smiles and hugs me once more, but was pulled off when Aomine stepped forward. He just smirked at me, making me scowl.

"I see you didn't die like I told you to." I joke, smiling slightly. He smirks even more.

"Yeah, I didn't want to end up like you." I laugh and go around all of them to sit down, my legs starting to shake.

"Sorry, I just needed to sit down." I rub the back of my head, looking away. They all just smile at me and sit down, Aomine sitting on my right and Midorima on my left. Aomine leans in close, making me stiffen.

"Hey, you know. I bet your dad is proud of you for something." I look down, my smile fading.

"No…he's not." I whisper so quietly that I could barely hear myself. Aomine sees that my smile is gone and puts his arm around me, patting my back gently.

"He is, Kagami. He is." I smile and look at him.

"Thanks. I guess you're right." No, he wasn't.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, now you know why he hates his dad. Can you imagine? Poor Kagami. :'( <strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, so you're gonna find out why Kagami's dad wasn't reported by Alex or Himuro in this chapter. And, don't worry! I told you at the beginning! This was gonna have a happy ending! I promise.**

* * *

><p>"I told you to come home right after school! What is wrong with you?! Do you really want to beaten up that much!? You're a pathetic excuse for a son!" I flinch at the anger in my dad's words, scared that I'll get another bruise somewhere. Right now, I was pinned to a wall, my dad fiercely gripping the collar of my shirt. I could smell the alcohol on him. It was so thick that it felt like I was breathing in the real thing. I look down at the smashed model of the rickshaw I had gotten today, my heart breaking.<p>

"Y-you broke it…" I whisper, reaching out for it, only to have my wrist be grabbed in a wild manner.

"You don't fucking deserve to have gifts given to you! You do nothing but ruin everything! You piece of shit! I wish you had never been born! My wife would be standing here today if it wasn't for your goddamn existence!" I feel tears rolling down my cheeks as I hear this. As much as I wanted to yell at him, to tell him he was wrong, he actually wasn't.

"M-mom wanted me…" I yelp as dad's fist collides with my face.

"BUT I DIDN'T! THE DOCTOR SAID SHE'D DIE IF SHE HAD A STUPID KID! BUT SHE HAD YOU ANYWAYS! THAT'S WHY IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" I whimper as dad lets go of me, kicking me in the stomach. I just lay there, dad going into the kitchen for another beer. He walks by, spitting on me, before he leaves, his intentions crystal clear. He was going to a bar to get shitfaced.

My body started to tremble as his words repeat over and over again in my head. He was right. It had been my fault. My presence in this word is of no importance. I should never have been born. All I do is take up space…but, mom loved me. She spent every second she could with me. She came to watch me play basketball for the first time. She always supported me.

I get to my feet and wipe the saliva off of my face, going into the bathroom to look in the mirror.

"Get a hold of yourself, Taiga. Come on. You can do this. You have been doing this ever since you were 8 years old. You can do this now." My own words didn't do a thing. The person I saw in the mirror was not me. It was someone who looked so pathetic, weak, and cowardice. He had a split lip and a starting of another black eye. His red hair looked frayed and the dark circles under his eyes showed that he had not slept in days and that the stress was getting to him. This could not have been me.

I put my hands over my face and put my head on the wall, sobbing. Dad's been here for only two weeks, and this is what he's turned me into. How could this happen? In such a short time, I've changed from my usual stubborn self into a person that will do anything someone else says. It's not fair! I feel like my own mother cheated me by bringing me into this world just so I can suffer. It's not fair! It's…not…fair.

* * *

><p>"Kagami! Open the door! Now! I know where the spare key is!" I just look at the wall, ignoring the pounding on my door. It was Alex. It's always Alex. No one else ever thinks twice about me. They all just want me to suffer.<p>

I don't make any movement as the door was opened and slammed the closed. The stomping of Alex's footsteps came closer and closer until she was standing in front of me. I look up at her, a blank look on my face. I didn't feel anything. Wait, correction. I couldn't feel anything. Alex's eyes soften and she kneels down, hugging me. I just sit there.

"Kagami…please come back to me…I don't like it when you act like this." This confused me.

"What do you mean? I'm not acting like anything." Alex just holds me closer. I wrap my arms around her as she started to cry, just like always.

"I can't take this anymore. I'm reporting your father." My eyes widen and I push her away from me, looking her in the eyes.

"Please. Don't." She opens her mouth to say something when I cut her off. "You promised. Just like Himoru. You better keep your promise or else I'll kill myself."

Alex lets her head hang, tears splashing onto the floor.

"I know, Kagami…I know you will." She whispers, holding my cheeks in her hands. She lifts her head and looks at me. "That's why I haven't ever broken that promise. I never want to lose someone like you. Your like my son."

I blink, shaking my head.

"But I'm not your son. My mom died when I was 8." Alex just nods and puts her finger to my lips, making me go silent.

"I know. I remember how you told me she had died. You had said that mommy wouldn't wake up on Christmas morning. You said that you waited all day for her to wake up before you opened your gifts. I remember how you told me that when dad came home, you told him this and he went to his room," Alex's breath hitched for a moment before she went on, "And that when he came back out, he said that mommy was dead then left again. You told my how you spent the night in mommy's room, waiting for her to wake up, but she never did."

She wipes the tears off of my face that I didn't even know where there. I sniffled and closed my eyes, not wanting to see Alex cry anymore. I try to will away my tears, but it doesn't work. I feel my teacher pull me into another hug, rocking me back and forth. I cling to her desperately as I try to calm myself, ending up sobbing instead.

"It's okay to cry, Taiga. You don't have to hold back the tears that want to come out. You don't have to worry about other people feeling bad. You just have to let it out. Just let it out, Taiga. You know that all of us love you. We would all be very upset if you killed yourself. We love you, Taiga." This made me sob more, pleasing Alex. She started to hum the tune that my mom used to sing to me. I clench Alex's jacket, my knuckles turning white.

"Alex…is dad gonna kill me? I don't wanna die," I sob. She just starts to pet my hair, hushing me.

"I know you don't. But I will still keep my promise to you. I don't want to take that risk." It still hadn't answered my question.

"Am I gonna die, Alex? Is he gonna kill me?" She didn't say anything for a while.

"No, Taiga. He's not. I'll make sure he won't. After all…" Alex pulls away from me, smiling at me, "I did become your second mother when you were 8. I'm always here to take care of my son."

* * *

><p>"Have a great day at school, Taiga! I'll see you when you get home!" I nod and smile at my mom as she started to drive away. She waves and I wave back, running through the gates of my school. I smile even more as I see Himuro walking into our school. This year, he was in 3rd grade, meaning I was in 2nd. I wave at him and he waves back, a smile on his face. He comes over to me and pats my head, his friends giving him weird looks as they walk up behind him.<p>

"Hey, little bro. Your mom drop you off?" I nod, hugging my big brother's arm.

"Yeah! And we got to go to a basketball game yesterday! It was so fun! I wish you had been there, though." I pout at the end of my sentence, Himuro's friends blushing a little at my innocence. Himuro laughs and kisses my nose, just like he always does.

"I didn't want to spoil your mother-son day." I smile at him and nod.

"Okay!" Big brother smiles and looks at his watch.

"Well, you better get to class or you're gonna be late." I nod and run off, waving at him. He waves back and starts towards his class.

I start to walk to class when I overhear something. It sounded like my brother and another lady. I go over to where the voices are and peek inside, seeing Himuro and a tall, blond haired lady with pink glasses. I blink as I hear the next thing that was said.

"So, you want me to train you and this boy named Taiga, huh?" Himuro nods and looks up at her, hope in his eyes. The lady sighs and shrugs.

"I'll just have to see you and Taiga play, but I don't see him anywhere." I smile and run in, Himuro's eyes widening. I bow and smile up at the lady.

"I'm Kagami Taiga! It's nice to meet you!" She just stood there for a moment before squealing and picking me up, spinning me around.

"Oh my goodness! He's so cute!" I whimper as she squeezes me against her breasts.

"Ow…this hurt." I mumble, making her gasp.

"I'm sorry." She says as she puts me down. She then smiles and bows like I had done before.

"The name's Alexandra Garcia, but you can call me Alex!" I smile and put my hand out, grabbing hers.

"I like you, Alex." She smiles and kneels down, ruffling my hair.

"I like you too, Kagami."

* * *

><p><strong>I'll admit, I almost cried while I was writing this. I'm so sorry that it was sad and I know that this isn't how they met Alex, but in this fanfic, it is. So deal with it. And by the way, if I were to ever encounter a younger Kagami, I would die of cuteness. I mean, wouldn't we all?<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**6th chapter here we are! Enjoy...sorta...XD**

* * *

><p>My eyes snap open, my vision blurry. I sit up and rub my eyes, making sure I'm awake. I lean against my headboard and look out the window, just taking everything.<p>

It's been awhile since I've dreamt about how Alex and I met. I smile faintly as I remember how everything went when mom and her met. It was as if they were sisters. It was really fun…but then mom died…

I shake my head and get out of my bed, going to the bathroom to shower. I look in the mirror to see the stranger again, but he looked a little better. His split lip was starting to heal, but his black eye was clear as the day. I sigh and look down at the bottle of concealer and foundation. I shake my head and go over to the shower, turning on the water.

I go into the shower and wash my body and hair quickly, not wanting dad to wake up. When I get out, I change into my uniform and look in the mirror, starting to apply the makeup to my face, concealing the black eye completely. I look at my split lip and curse under my breath.

"Shit. How do I do this? Rebeca didn't teach me how to cover up split lips!" Rebeca was my dad's receptionist. She was the one who taught me how to use makeup. And when she asked why I needed to cover up my bruises my dad replied with, "Because Taiga likes to provoke people and I don't want to explain this every single time someone asks about it."

Rebeca was then fired 3 weeks later. I have a hunch about the reason. She kept asking me who was beating me up and I just said, "I can't tell you."

I'm guessing dad heard us one time.

I sigh and grab my bag, going out of the bathroom. At least no one will see the black eye.

* * *

><p>I look out the window from my seat, not paying attention to anything my teacher says. That is until he calls me out.<p>

"Mr. Kagami! Please answer the equation on the board!" I look up at the front, my eyes widening. The problem was so complex and it looked like not even coach would be able to answer it.

"U-uh…can I pass?" Everyone started to laugh as my teacher pushed his glasses up his nose, infuriated with me.

"Just because this is your second day back from the hospital does not mean I will give you any slack." I scowl and stand up.

"I didn't expect you to! Who asked you anyways!" I shout, walking out.

When I was at the park down the block from my school, I finally stop walking. I slam my fist against a wall as I realize what I just did.

"Shit! I just fucked everything up!" I shout, not noticing the kids playing in the park until I hear a lot of gasps. I look over and see a bunch of mothers looking at me, disapproving stares boring into my head. I look down, sighing. I quickly walk away.

"Oi! Kagami! It's not good to curse in front of children!" My eyes widen and I whip around, seeing Aomine was his uniform jacket slung over his shoulder. His tie was undone and it looked like he was a man just coming back from work. I gulp as he comes closer and closer.

Once he was in front of me, I scowl. He just smiles even more and puts his arm around my shoulders, starting to lead me away from the park.

"So what's this about fucking everything up?" I look down before I answered.

"I pretty much told off my teacher. He hated me before and I bet he hates me even more now." Aomine inhales sharply, making a pained face.

"I've done that before. It was not good." I look at him sarcastically, asking him if I needed to reply. He laughs and hits me gently, making me winch.

"Don't give me that look!" I laugh a little and stop walking, making him raise an eyebrow.

"Well, it's been fun, Aomine, but I should go back to school." He makes a disgusted face, as if he smelt something awful.

"School's for people who have no lives and are like Tetsu, no offence against him. He's just sometimes…you know what I mean." I shrug.

"I get your point, but still. I gotta." The dark skinned teen just threw his hands into the air, smiling.

"You don't gotta. You just don't wanna get in trouble," He turns to leave, smiling back at me, "I knew you were too scared to do it." My eye twitches.

"Fine! I'll do it!"

"Great! Now, come on! Let's go get some frozen yogurt!" I sigh as I realize that he was baiting me. Too late now.

"Okay, let's go."

* * *

><p>"Thank you! Come again!" I wave to the nice storekeeper and start to eat my frozen yogurt. I had gotten raspberry flavour since I love raspberries. Aomine got the same thing, but he was almost finished with his. He looks at his small bowl then at mine, taking the small spoon and trying to steal some of mine. I quickly move mine out of the way and glare at him. He glares back as he throws his bowl away.<p>

"Hey, you should give me some of that." I raise an eyebrow and start to eat the yogurt slowly, making him scowl more.

"GIVE IT, KAGAMI!" I shake my head and start to run away, him running after me. I laugh as I see how serious he is about this god damn yogurt. I smile and start to run through random alleyways and taking sharp turns. I lost Aomine within minutes.

I smile to myself and start to eat my frozen treat, walking down the streets randomly. That's when I hear whispering behind me. I look over and see a group of girls blush and look away, whispering again. I raise an eyebrow at this, but just shrug and start to walk again. But something they said made me freeze.

"Isn't that Kaga-Co.'s owner? Wait, no. It looks like the owner's son! But I didn't know he had a son. Why haven't we heard about this?" I look down and throw my yogurt away, losing my appetite. I walk over to the girls and stand over them, my hair shadowing one of my eyes. They look up at me, almost shaking in their shoes.

"You were talking about my father?" I ask, my voice low and dark. They gulp and nod.

"U-um…Y-yes, w-we were…y-you're h-his son?" I nod slowly, looking away. They all smile and almost cling to me.

"Is it true about what they say about him? That he's so hot and that's he's the nicest person ever!? Is he a good father? I bet he is!" I look down, a scowl taking over my features.

"Don't believe everything the media says, it's not always true." I shrug the girls off and walk off, shoving my hands into my pockets. I just smirk as I hear them from behind me.

"I wonder what he meant by that…"

"TAIGA KAGAMI! WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU WALKING AROUND TOWN WHEN YOU SHOULD BE AT SCHOOL!?" I stiffen and get ready to run, but was pulled back by someone. I look over and see that it's Alex, making me relax. Wait, ALEX!? I smile awkwardly and rub the back of my head. She just scowls and starts to yell at me, almost everyone directing their attention our way. That's when I see it. A camera. My eyes widen and I cover Alex's mouth, leaning down to whisper in her ear.

"Someone's recording us. Please stop." She pushed me back, surprising me.

"NO! TAIGA! I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT THE GODDAMN OWNER OF KAGA-CO. HAS A SON!" I put my hands up in defence, trying to calm her down. She doesn't. She just continues to shout.

I sigh and bow, not looking her in the eye.

"I am truly sorry, Alex. I was having a very rough day at school and my teacher pissed me off so I…I told him off…then ran off…" Alex was silent. This was unnerving. I look up and she hits me on top of the head, making me jump back. Her eyes widen at how scared I looked just from her doing that. She sighs and grabs my hand, starting to drag me away. We were trying to get away from the camera, but sadly, it kept following us.

* * *

><p>"Taiga. Let me see your eye." I shake my head as she keeps trying to wipe the makeup off of my face. She finally grabs the back of my neck and pulls me down to eye level, growling. I gulp and close my eyes, letting her wash them. That's when she gasped and hugged me.<p>

"It happened again, Alex…it was before you came over…and when dad left." Her breathing was uneven as she tried to remain composed. I hold her close and start to pet her hair. "Don't worry, Alex. I'll be fine. You don't have to care so much. God knows he doesn't."

She nods and pulls away, wiping away the single tear that escaped. I smile down at her and cover my eye.

"Do you have any makeup on you? I don't want Aomine to find me and-."

"And to have me see that?" I stiffen and turn around, seeing Aomine standing in the doorway, the camera that had started to record us back on the streets in his hand. I gulp and try to walk past him, but he blocks the door.

"You're such a fucking liar. You said that you wouldn't go near the person that beat you up. And you said that you didn't know who it was." I look down, a lump in my throat.

"Look, Aomine. I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me. It's not like this isn't the first time this has happened." I slap my hand over my mouth, my eyes wide as I see Aomine's face change from angry to shocked. "What?"

I clench my teeth and push him out of the way, stomping out of the bathroom Alex had lead me to. Before anyone could stop me, I run off. I don't stop until I'm all alone in a large park. I go over to a tree and sit down at the base, curling up into a ball, starting to sob. I never thought that it would end up like this. I had hoped that none of my friends would find out, but I know that Aomine will now ask questions and he'll go and ask Alex. And then…he'll finally find out. After that, I don't know what's gonna happen, and frankly, I don't wanna know.

* * *

><p><strong>Done. I'm sorry if it's not that good this chapter, but I'll improve the next one. <strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**So, I'm happy to continue this one because I just got some motivation (not like I didn't have it before) from one of my favorite AoKaga and GrimmIchi shippers. I nearly fainted. BUT! I shall make this (or try to) make this one of the best chapters. Sound good? I bet.**

* * *

><p>"I'm home." Dad puts down the newspaper he was reading, a hard scowl on his face.<p>

"Well, how was school?" My eyes widen at the question. Dad never, EVER asks me how school went. Mostly because he could care less.

"This is a trick question, isn't it?" He just laughs and gets to his feet, his iPhone in his hand. I gulp as he comes over to me, pressing play on a youtube video. It showed Alex and I fighting and her yelling that I was the owner of Kaga-Co.'s son.

I feel myself start to shake as I see who posted it. Aomine. Dad stops the video and looks down at me, his eyes shadowed by his hair that is usually slicked back, but for some reason, today was an exception. I try to back away, but he just grabs my shoulder and stops me from fleeing.

"I-I'm sorry. I-I didn't think that-."

"Of course you didn't think. It's almost as if you have no fucking brain in that thick skull of yours." I look down, his insult going on the list of all the others.

"D-dad, there's no need to make me feel worse than I already do…" There was a slight chuckle from him, making me put my guard up.

"Oh, really? You think that you deserve to feel better? After all the things you've done? Now, what makes you think that? You did, after all, kill your mother." I clench my fist and look him dead in the eye, a scowl on my face.

"It's not like I could have done anything to stop her from having me! It's not my fault that she wanted me! If only I had a goddamn time machine then I would go back and stop her! That way I wouldn't have you as a father!" Everything went silent. My eyes were wide and filled with fear as I feel dad's anger grow more and more every second. I've never said anything like that to dad because I'm so scared. But after him saying for the thousandth time that I killed mom just made me snap.

"I-I didn't mean to say that… I-I'm so-sorry…" The murderess look in his eyes just grew more gruesome. I quickly brush hand off my shoulder and run down the hall, him running after me.

"I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU LIKE I SHOULD HAVE YEARS AGO! YOU LITTLE PIECE OF SHIT!" I slam my door closed and lock it, grabbing my phone. Dad starts to bang on my door. It sounded like he was gonna break it.

I dial Alex's number, tears rolling down my face. It didn't take her any time to answer her phone.

"Well, well, well. What are you calling me for, huh?" I ignore her comment.

"Alex! He's gonna kill me! He's finally gonna kill me! Help me, please!" My voice was hysterical and cracking with every sob that ripped through my chest.

"W-wait, Kagami. Calm down. I can barely understand you." I try to take deep breaths, but the pounding on my door told me otherwise.

"Dad! H-he's gonna kill me! Help me! Please!" Alex finally understood.

"I'll be right over! Where are you?!"

"I-In my room with my door locked."

"Stay there. I'm calling the police." My eyes widen at this.

"N-no! Don't! Dad'll get mad!"

"JESUS, KAGAMI! DO YOU WANT TO DIE?!"

"N-no! B-but I don't want dad to be mad! He'll hurt me more!"

"IF HE'S IN PRISON HE WON'T BE ABLE TO TOUCH YOU! THERE'S NO WAY YOU'RE GONNA STOP ME FROM CALLING THIS TIME!" Before I could argue more, Alex hung up. I was about to call her again when my door finally gave in, my dad standing in the doorway. I froze in fear when I see the knife in his hand, twirling it as he walked over to me. I try to back up, but my legs couldn't work properly. I fell and land on my butt, looking up at the looming figure in front of me.

"Say hello to your mother for me, Taiga." I squeeze my eyes shut and pray, I don't know who to, but I just pray. The only thing I thought was, "Please save me. I don't wanna die yet." That's when the searing pain started.

* * *

><p>"Taiga…" I open my eyes slightly, a bright light hurting my eyes.<p>

"Eh…who's there?" I sit up and look around, freezing at the sight in front of me. I reach out, tears forming. "Mom…?"

Mom just smiles and takes a step back.

"Yes, Taiga. I've come to see you." I hang my head, saltwater rivers running down my cheeks.

"A-am I dead? D-did dad finally kill me?" I let out a sob, seeing how my prayers haven't been answered.

"No, you are not yet. I need you to wake up. Can you do that for me, honey?" I look up and see mom starting to cry, "I don't want you to miss out on the life you have ahead of you."

I get to my feet and start towards her, but stop when she shakes her head, her long, bright red hair swinging with her head.

"No, don't come close to me, or else I won't be able to let go of you." I close my eyes and grip my hair, screaming.

"But I don't want to wake up! I don't want to live with the guilt of you dying because of me!" Mom giggles, making me open my eyes once again.

"Oh, Taiga. It's not your fault. I wanted to have you. No matter what your father had said, I still had you. I love you so much and I am so proud of you." She smiles more at me, "I'm just so happy to see the man you've grown up to be and I'm happy that I got to see you after all those years."

I look at her, smiling faintly.

"Thank you, mom. I love you too." She smiled once more and turned to walk away, but not without looking at me from over her shoulder.

"Now, when you wake up, I want you to open all of your Christmas present's that remain unopened. And the birthday presents too. I want you to do that for me. It doesn't matter how hard you cry or how much you scream, you need to get it all out. You hear me?" I nod and wave to her as she starts to disappear, leaving me alone in this, blank, white world.

* * *

><p>"He's waking up! His heart is stabilizing!" I groan a little as I open my eyes slowly, seeing the faces of many doctors and nurses around me. They all smile at me, clapping.<p>

"Welcome back from the dead!" I give them all a confused look, but then remember my talk with mom. I smile faintly and start to take off the oxygen mask, but was told not to. I sigh and look up at the plain ceiling, seeing one of the nurses leave the room.

"Where is she going?" I ask weakly. A doctor smiles more and takes off his gloves that had blood on them, my blood.

"She's going to tell your friends that they can see you now." My eyes widen.

"They're here to see me?" He nods and starts to tidy up.

"You know, you're one lucky guy. You were dead for 5 whole minutes." My mouth drops, making him laugh.

"W-what!? I-it was that serious?!" The doctor went silent for a moment before he replies.

"Yes, that broken rib I mended awhile back was about to puncture your heart and you had 2 inch deep cuts on almost every part of your body." I gulp and close my eyes.

"How am I still alive?" I whisper this to myself, not expecting the man to answer.

"Because you have a reason to live."

I open my mouth to reply when the door opened. I open my eyes and turn my head, seeing Alex and my whole team with tears staining their cheeks. I smile weakly as they all surround me, sobbing out words like, "We thought you were dead!" or, "Don't scare us like that again, Bakagami!" I just smiled more at this.

"Hey, guys. I'm fine, see?" I hear a chuckle from the doctor. I look over at him.

"The word; fine. The definition; Fucked up, Insecure, Narcissistic, and Emotional." I blink, surprised he would say that.

"You just got deep, Mr. Doctor man." He laughs more and shrugs.

"Just telling you the definition of fine, Mr. Kagami." I laugh, coughing afterwards. This worried everyone.

"Taiga, just rest! Please!" I nod, smiling at my coach.

"I will, coach. I promise." She smiles and moves aside as Alex comes forward, a scowl on her face along with the tears. I look down, sighing.

"I know, I know. I should have told everyone a long time ago. I'll tell them once I get out of here, okay?" Alex nods and turns to leave when I speak up again.

"I got to talk to mom."

"What did she say?" I take a deep breath before I recite every single word she said. Alex didn't say another word. She just walked out of the room, her breathing hitching with every breath she took.

I sigh and close my eyes, yawning weakly. I know that I'll be having a lot of visitors and a lot of gifts in the next few days. I'll have to throw out dying flowers again. I make a face at the thought, everyone around me laughing a little.

"What that face for, Baka?" I turn my head their way and groan.

"If any of you get me a gift, please don't give me flowers. I had to throw so many out last time and my whole apartment smelled like flowers that were on fire for about a week." They laugh even more, except for Kuroko.

"Alex told us that you know who did this." My eyes widen, but then drop to stare at the floor, a guilty look on my face.

"Yeah, I do." Kuroko didn't ask who. He said something else that was even more horrifying.

"They also found signs of you being raped. Is this all true, Kagami?" I gulp and nod, making everyone gasp, "Who did this to you?"

I smile and look at them.

"My dad." Kuroko's eyes widen in shock and horror, his mouth gaping.

"...What? Y…your dad?"

"Yes, my dad did this to me." Coach covered her mouth, crying just like when she saw all the bruises.

"Why did he do that?" she sobs out, knowing that she's been wondering that the whole time.

"Because he blames me for my mom dying." They all open their mouths to ask more questions when I cut them off, "Let me explain."

They all nod and sit down as if I was reading a story. I laugh at this and begin.

"My mom was never supposed to have a child and when she got pregnant, the doctor said that she'd die at a very young age, but she had me anyways. Once I was born, dad started to stay at work all the time and whenever he got off, he'd go to a bar just so he didn't have to see me. I was fine with this because as long as I had mom, was never alone." I gulp as my mouth started to get dry, "But then…on Christmas morning when I was 8 years old, I got up and went to wake up mom, but she wouldn't wake up. I sat there for hours, shaking her. Finally, I went into the living and waited for her to get up, but dad came home before she could. He asked me why all the presents hadn't been opened and I said that mom was still asleep.

"He went into his room and came back out moments later, telling me she's dead, and then he left. That night I slept in mom and dad's bed, thinking that she was gonna wake up, but she never did. Dad blamed me for this. It wasn't even two days later that he started to beat me. He eventually had one of his female employees teach me how to put on makeup. It was always the same, dad going to work, then to a bar, then comes home to beat his kid. This cycle went on for two years when finally, on my 10th birthday, I asked him if he couldn't beat me that day. He said that we could do something more fun and…"

I take a deep, shaky breath and run a hand through my hair. I haven't told anyone about this in so long that it hurts, a lot.

"H-he then dragged me into his room and…raped me for the first time. That was the day the cycle changed. Every month, he'd rape me once or twice to get rid of his sexual frustration. It's been that way ever since."

No one spoke, they just sat there, paralyzed. I look up and Himuro in the doorway, a sad smile on his face. I then noticed that Murasakibara was standing next to him, his normally calm face covered with shock and disgust. He had his cell phone in his hand and it looked like he had recorded what I had said. My eyes widen and I reach out to him, but wince in pain.

"D-delete that! N-now!" He shakes his head.

"No. I'm sending it to everyone but Mine-chin." I look at him, puzzled by this statement.

"Why not Aomine too?" The giant smiles faintly.

"I think he'd like to hear it from you in person."

* * *

><p><strong>Welp, I'm gonna wrap it up there. Guys, I started to cry while writing this. I'm sorry that it took so long for Kagami to FINALLY tell his teammates what was going on. I bet that Alex is very proud of him for doing this, and for letting Murasakibara send the video. Well, almost. He didn't fight that much for him to delete it, so...yeah. Hope you liked this chapter and stuff. See you next time!<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm sorry that this took me a little longer than I thought, but here it is! The next chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>I look out the dark window, seeing all the stars in the night sky. The tears that had rolled down my face had finally stopped. It had been an awful day. All the "Generations of Miracles" had come to see me because Himuro's god damn teammate sent the video of me confessing what had happened. Midorima asked what had happened to the rickshaw and I just had to tell him. It would have been fine if it was just him (since they all came in one at a time) but he had Takao with him. He was the one who cried the most.<p>

I sigh and close my eyes, listening to the beeping of the heart monitor, hearing my own heart. It had gotten very lonely here very quickly. Because of my insurance, I got a room all to myself. Visiting hours are still open, since at this hospital, visiting hours are actually 24 hours a day. So if dad wanted to come and finish me off, he could do it.

I shudder at the thought and wake myself up a little more. At this rate, I'll never sleep. I shift slightly and winch, one of the many stab wounds hurting me.

"Just great." I mutter, grabbing my cell phone. I still haven't found out a way to tell Aomine that I need to talk to him. I sigh and open my contacts, clicking on his name.

"Hey." It took less than a minute for him to respond.

"Hey, Bakagami." I don't get mad at the comment. I laugh a little, actually.

"Whatever man. Look I need to talk to you. Face to face."

"Fine. Where do you wanna meet up?" I bite my lip as I type the awful news to him.

"Well…I can't really go anywhere."

"What do you mean? Should I just go to your house?" The lump in my throat grows bigger.

"No…"

"Then where?" A deep breath and then SEND.

"The hospital." He doesn't reply, but I know he's seen it. It shows it at the bottom that he has. I squeeze my eyes shut and hit my phone on my face, clenching my teeth. That's when the ringtone I set for Ahomine went off. I open my eyes and gulp.

"I'll be right over."

* * *

><p>I keep my eyes closed as the door is opened carefully, light flooding into my room. My eyes twitch a little, but I hope Aomine doesn't see that.<p>

He closes the door after about a minute, his footsteps coming over to me. I gulp slightly as I feel him lean over me, his stare piercing my flesh. That's when I hear it. His breath hitched.

"Damn it, Bakagami…What happened to you?" His voice was soft and gentle, full of sadness as well. This made me guilty.

I feel a hand on my face, rubbing soft circles on my cheek. This made me wonder what he was feeling. His hand was shaky and gentle. I could hear Aomine gulp down his emotions as he leaned down, putting his head on my chest.

"I should have known…There was something wrong…I-I should have known. I'm sorry, Taiga. I'm really sorry…" My eyes open as I hear a sob coming from the tanner boy. I look down at him and smile sadly, putting my hand on his head.

"It's okay, Aomine. It's not your fault." He froze, lifting his head stiffly. He looks me in the eye, the same look in his blue orbs as all the other times. I couldn't take it.

"What does that look mean, Aomine? I don't get it." He just shook his head and leaned in closer to my face, making me go stiff. "W-what are you do-."

"Shut up, Baka. Just, please shut up." Before I knew what was going on, Aomine kissed me.

I just sat there, confused on what was going on. I reached up and pushed him away, gulping.

"W-what was that?!" I wince in pain, clutching my side, "Guh…"

"Kagami, tell me what happened." I look down, sitting up slightly.

"Go turn on a light and I'll tell you."

Aomine nodded and got up, going over to the light switch and turned it on. Once my room was illuminated, Aomine saw my wounds.

His eyes widened as he comes back over, making a sad smile creep up on my face.  
>"Taiga…Who did this to you?" My answer was immediate.<p>

"My dad." Before Aomine could say anything, I continued to talk, "I think you should hear the story I couldn't tell you before."

He nodded and sat down on my bed next to me, his eyes trained on the stitched up cut on my face.

I take a deep breath and close my eyes for awhile before I say anything else. Aomine just continues to stare, his eyes moist and red from crying.

"There's no easy way to tell you this, but here I go. It all started before I was born." I gulp as my throat went dry, "My mom…she was never supposed to have a child."

"But then, how did she have you?" I put my hand up, squeezing my eyes shut. For some reason, telling Aomine hurts a lot more than when I was telling my teammates.

"We don't know, but the doctor said that if she didn't have an abortion, she'd die at a very young age. Dad tried to convince mom to get rid of me, but she really wanted me. I…was the thing she wanted the most." I feel myself start to cry, but I don't care. I need to do this. For mom.

Aomine scooted closer, holding both of my hands in his. I sniffle and wipe my eyes, seeing that doing that was useless since tears just kept coming.

"Just take your time. I will wait." I nod and put my face into his shoulder, gripping his shirt. My body started to shake as I try to hold back the tears. Aomine started to pet my hair, whispering comforting things. I couldn't hold it in. I started to sob.

"T-then dad never came home…he hates me. H-he would go to work and then go to a bar just so he wouldn't see me. I-I hate myself because of that."

"You shouldn't feel that way, Kagami. A lot of people care about you." I nod and clench his shirt fabric even more, my knuckles going white. Aomine took hold of my hands and pry them off of his shirt. "Taiga…listen to me. So many people care and love you. Including me. Ever since I met you, I knew that you'd be the one I was looking for in a rival. I never expected to feel this way towards you though. Now, please. Tell me everything."

* * *

><p>It took half an hour for me to stop sobbing enough to even mutter a word out. Aomine just tried his best to comfort me, and him doing so made me even more upset. After the long while, I finally wipe my eyes and pull my face out of the crook of Aomine's neck, looking him in the eye.<p>

"N-no one has ever said that to me before." His eyes widen at this.

"What?" I shake my head and smile sadly at him.

"I think I should finish the story." He nods and pulls me close, kissing my forehead. This made me blush slightly.

"So, my dad would avoid me at all costs until I turned 8. That was because…on Christmas morning, I went to go wake up mom, but she…she wouldn't wake up." I stop talking for a moment to let that fact sink in, seeing Aomine's eyes widen to the size of dinner plates, "That's why I hate Christmas. It was the start of this all.

"Once dad came home, he asked me why the presents weren't opened and why dinner wasn't ready. I just said that I was waiting for mom to wake up, so he went into their room and…when he came back out, he just announced that mom was dead and left for a bar. I slept next to mom that night, thinking that she might've woken up, but she never did."

There was another kiss, but it was planted on the wound on my face. I smile slightly and close my eyes.

"I'm sorry. Go on." I nod and grab the styrofoam cup and take a sip of water.

"The day after mom had died, dad came home and was shitfaced. I tried to make him something to make him happy, but he was trying to get into the fridge and I was in the way so he hit me away." I take a deep breath as I hear my words start to quicken. Aomine hushed me and pet my hair again, making me relax a little.

"He liked the feeling of the power he had against me and started to beat me. That night started a routine of him coming home, skipping the drinking, and just beating the shit out of his own kid."

"Taiga…I'm sorry." I shake my head and smile at Aomine, making his eyes start to water.

"Oh, it's not your fault, Aomine. And I haven't even gotten to the worst part." The Touou player just gulped and let his head hang. I kiss his head, starting the story up again.

"After awhile, he made one of his female employees teach me how to put on makeup so no one would ask why I had a black eye. She was fired three weeks later. Two years later, when it was my tenth birthday, I asked dad if he could not beat me since it was my birthday. He said that we could do something even more fun than that and…he…" I trail off as tears started to roll down my face once again. Aomine kisses my cheeks and rubs circles on my face with his thumbs. The same look in his eyes that I still don't understand.

"You can tell me anything. I will NEVER judge you." I nod and gulp, another lump in my throat.

"He…dragged me into his room and…and he raped me. He started to rape me once or twice a month and it's been that way ever since. And whenever he comes back to "visit" me, the cycle starts up again." Everything went silent as I finish. This worried me until Aomine spoke up.

"Why haven't you gone to the police with this?" My eyes widen and I shake my head.

"N-no! He'll get mad! He'll hurt me more!"

"How many times has he raped you since he's been back?" I gulp and look down, ashamed that it happened.

"Once…almost twice."

"How was it almost twice?"

"He was going to, but then Kuroko came over unexpectedly." Aomine nodded and hugged me. I close my eyes and hug back, not saying anything when I feel a certain wetness spread over my shoulder.

"It's okay, Daiki. I'm just glad that none of my friends have to experience anything like this. I glad that I was able to tell you. And I'm glad that you will never have a life like this."

"How could you say that, Bakagami!?" Aomine practically chokes out. I smile and hug him closer.

"Because I wanna protect the one who's important to me."

* * *

><p><strong>Done. Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I got other stuff to do! I have a life! XD At least in my world I do.<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello my fellow fans! :D It's the eighth chapter already?! Oh my gosh! Well, just read and enjoy! There's still a LOT more to come. ^^ ~Sweet-Lemonade**

* * *

><p>Everyday after I told him about my childhood, Aomine came to visit me all day. It was pretty nice having someone to talk to all the time. Sometimes he would bring food that I actually liked instead of the nasty ass hospital food. And sometimes, he would bring flowers to replace the dying ones he got a couple days before. It was a sweet gesture.<p>

"Oi, Taiga. When are you getting out of this place?" Aomine had taken up the habit of calling me by my first name.

"I don't know. All they've told me is that I can't play basketball for two months, which sucks." Aomine nodded, grunting slightly.

"Guess we can't play one-on-one for awhile." I nod sadly, looking out the window. "Hey, Taiga. I have something I wanna ask you."

"Yes, Aomine?" I look over at the Touou ace, seeing the serious look on his face.

"Why didn't Alex and Himoru call the cops on your dad before." My eyes widen and I gulp.

"Why do you ask?" He scowls and scoots his chair closer to my hospital bed.

"I'm just curious to know why they would let you pretty much suffer." I look away, itching around one of the cuts on my chest.

"Okay, I told them not to. There. It's not their fault."

"I'm still wondering why they would listen to you." I scowl and sit up, not daring to look at Aomine.

"I threatened to kill myself." We didn't say anything for a long while. I'm guessing my confession was a little shocking to Aomine. It's not like I expect him to understand. If he did, then I'd be worried.

"Has your dad been found yet?" I nod, my shoulders slumping.

"But…they don't know that he did this to me."

"What?" I gulp at the anger clear in Aomine's voice. I yelp as his hand grabs my shoulder and makes me look at him.

"What do you mean that the police don't know he did this?!" I start to coward back, thinking that I was gonna get hit.

"I-I'm sorry! P-please don't hurt me!" Aomine's eyes soften and he lets go of me, slumping back into his chair. He runs a hand through his hair and groaned.

"Sorry, Taiga. But please explain why you didn't tell them." I look down and sigh.

"W-well…they asked if I had any family here and I just told them about dad and they said that they'll find him so that he…would be able to see me." I see Aomine twitch from the corner of my eye.

"I'm telling them." My eyes widen and I shake my head quickly.

"N-no!" The sound of Aomine's teeth being ground together echoed through my room.

"Taiga, no matter what you say, I am going to tell them exactly what you told me."

"You do and I'll hate you forever."

"That's something I'm willing to live with as long as you're safe."

* * *

><p>I just lay there, silent as Aomine flips through his Mai-chan magazine. That's when there was a knock on the door before the head police chief came in. Aomine flopped his head back to look at the man, a bored expression on his face.<p>

"Mr. Kagami."

"Hello, officer Aomine." Daiki waves to the officer, hiding his magazine.

"Hey, dad." Mr. Aomine smiles at his son, then looks at me.

"Mr. Kagami-."

"You can call me Taiga." He nods and takes his hat off.

"Taiga, we have found Kagami Shijo, but he didn't want to see you. He was too upset." I nod, seeing Daiki scowl hard.

"Dad, I have a question." I gulp as Mr. Aomine kneeled down next to the tanner teen.

"Yes, son?" I feel myself start to sweat a little, scared that Daiki was gonna say something.

"Do you have any leads to who did this?" Damn it…

"No, I haven't done any questioning yet." I was so tempted to punch him. Mr. Aomine walks over to me and stands by the foot of my bed.

"Daiki, could you please leave. You can stay only if Taiga wants you to." I sigh and nod.  
>"Daiki can stay…since I already told him everything." The tan boy smiled and held up a little recorder, making my eyes widen.<p>

"And if you don't tell the truth, I'll just give this to dad." I scowl and look away.  
>"Fine, Ahomine! It's not like I'd lie about this!" Daiki raises an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest. I gulp. That was such a lie. I only realized that after I said that.<p>

"Oh, really? Even though you lied to me for 3 weeks about what was going on. I had to wait until you were in the hospital to get the answers I was looking for!" I gulp and look down, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Sorry, Aomine…I was just…scared." The Touou ace's eyes soften and he nods, leaning back in his chair.

"Right…I'm sorry." I smile and tilt my head slightly.

"What do you need to be sorry about, Daiki?" He didn't say anything, he just closed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. Mr. Aomine sighed and pushed his son out of the chair, planning to sit down when he saw the Mai-chan magazine. Daiki smiled awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding his dad's piercing glare.

"Aomine Daiki, what is this?" Before the teen could say anything, I spoke up.

"I-it's mine, Mr. Aomine." The two Ahos blink and look at me. I blush and look away, holding out my hand. The older one hands me the stupid magazine and sits down, patting his son's head.

"I'm sorry, son. I just thought that you started to look at those again after we told you not to." Daiki nods and smiles faintly.

"It's okay, dad. I know that you're just looking out for me." I look down at my lap and smile sadly. I've always wished that I would have a dad like that, but I figured out long ago, that will never happen. At least Aomine is able to be with his dad without being beaten or raped, and for that…I'm very grateful to know him. That way, I'm able to at least imagine what it's like to have a normal family.

* * *

><p>"We'll go at your own pace, Taiga. If I'm going too fast, just speak up, okay?" I nod and watch as the officer in front of me takes out a small notepad. Daiki was sitting on the foot of my bed, patting my leg gently. This made me smile faintly, but not noticeable enough for either of them to say something.<p>

"So, how old are you?" That's a strange question…

"16."

"What is your birth date?" I raise an eyebrow, but don't say anything.

"August 2nd, 1998." Mr. Aomine nods and smiles at me.

"Okay, you passed. I was asking because I just have to make sure you are who you say you are, yet I don't think you'd lie." I nod slowly, too drugged up to process anything he just said. The Touou player noticed this and laughed.

"Dad, he doesn't understand that. He's on so many pain killers that he can barely understand the questions." I nod, smiling down at the ground. It was Mr. Aomine's turn to laugh.

"Oh well. I'll explain later. Next question, do you live alone?" I start to nod, but stop.

"Well, usually yes, but dad is visiting, so right now, no." With a quick nod and the scribbling sound of pencil on paper, the officer continued.

"Do you have any enemies? Anyone who would have a motive to try to kill you?" I went silent, not really knowing how to answer that.

"I-I don't really know. I'm sorry." He just smiles and ruffles my hair, making me flinch, thinking that he was gonna hit me. He noticed this.

"Were you beat up as a kid?" My eyes widen and I look down.

"Y-yeah…"

"By other kids or by an adult?" I grip onto my arm, my way of clinging to reality so I don't go through my memories.

"B-by an adult…" There was a sad sigh and a pat on my shoulder.

"I am truly sorry. Who was the one who beat you?" I bite the inside of my cheek and look out the window, clenching my sleeve even harder.

"M-my…dad." Everything went silent as I said this. I could tell that Mr. Aomine was at a loss for words, considering he saw my dad today. My dad always puts a mask on whenever he's with people. The only ones who know how he really is is Alex, Himuro, mom, and I. But the difference is, when he was with mom, that mask went away and he would be happy. She always knew she was taking a risk marrying a sociopath, but she loved him. I guess mom was dad's shelter and…pretty much his savior. Once she was gone, he became cold and wanted to seek revenge on the one who took her away from him, meaning he would do anything to make me suffer.

"Are…are you sure it was your father." Before I could say a thing, Aomine spoke up.

"Yes, he is sure. I believe him because when I was over at his house one time, his dad downed almost a whole bottle of scotch. He also seemed really angry even though he was smiling and being nice towards me." His father nodded and sighed.

"Could you please explain why your father acts like that? Or do you not know?" I smile sadly and turn to face him.

"He's actually a diagnosed sociopath." The two Aomines eyes widen and their mouths drop. "H-how could he…"

"He's a really good actor. That's why he gets away with everything."

* * *

><p><strong>I'm gonna stop it there. I know, I'm evil and I'm sorry. Don't worry, though. I'm on a roll right now and I'll <em>TRY <em>to bang out the next chapter soon. Until next time! -Sweet-Lemonade**


	10. Chapter 10

**Told you I was on a roll.**

* * *

><p>It took a good 2 and a half hours for Mr. Aomine to ask me ALL the questions he had. When he was done, he just sat there, hanging his head. This made me feel really bad.<p>

"I'm sorry, Mr. Aomine." He picked his head back up and looked at me, the same look in his eyes that Daiki has.

"Why should you be sorry? It wasn't your fault at all." I rub my arm, looking away.

"It kinda is…"

"How?" I gulp and look away.

"I'm the reason mom is dead…" There was a moment of silence before anyone said anything.

"You…killed your mother?" I nod, but the tanner teen cut in.

"He didn't. His dad just told him that because…Kagami Yasashii was never supposed to have a child." My eyes widen and I grab Aomine's hand.

"How do you know my mom's name?" He holds up a folder, opening it to show me my DNA test. I see a picture of my mom and dad standing together, my dad looking actually happy as he held my mom in his arms. I gulp as I see mom's belly sticking out a little. This made me smile sadly. I point at her stomach and look at Aomine.

"She was pregnant…with me." He blinks and looks at the picture, smiling when he finally sees that.

"Ya know, you're mom is actually really pretty." I blink and stare at Aomine who just smiled faintly at me, "I guess that explains why you're so cute."

My eye twitches, making Aomine laugh.

"I'm not cute. I'm a guy. Guys aren't supposed to be cute!"

"Whatever, Taiga. I think you're cute and that's that. Ain't nothin ya can do to change my mind." At the end of his sentence, Aomine stuck his tongue out. I scowl and try to smack the back of his head, but he moves. I try again, only to wince in pain.

"Now now, Taiga. Lay down and rest." I scowl and pout, turning away from Aomine. His eye twitches and the next thing I know, I'm pinned down to the bed. My eyes widen, my mind going straight to the thought of dad.

"D-don't! I-I'm sorry! P-Please don't! I-it hurts! I-I don't like this! P-please let me go!" Aomine did as I said, his hands shaking a little. I feel a finger wipe my cheeks. Huh…I didn't notice that I started to cry.

"Taiga, I'm sorry." I just blink and look up at him.

"But Aomine, you didn't do anything wrong. And look at it this way," I smile at him, "I at least have you and that makes me happier than anything."

* * *

><p>After Aomine and his dad left the hospital, the doctor that saved me came in. I sigh and lay down, feeling more tired than I should.<p>

"Yes, Mr. Doctor." He chuckles and grabs the clipboard off of the hook on the foot of my bed, clicking his pen before he started to write something down.

"I'm just here to tell you, Mr. Kagami, that you will be released tomorrow at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. May I ask if you have a place to stay?" I look up, thinking about someone who wouldn't mind if I crashed at their house. I bite the inside of my cheek, thinking about only Aomine. But…I've already troubled him enough.

"Not yet. I'll ask some people though." He nods and smiles at me.

"That's good. Just remember this, Mr. Kagami. You are very lucky that you are alive and that is because you were put on this earth for a reason." I nod and wave as the doctor leaves the room, waving back and turning the light off for the night.

I grab my phone off of the nightstand and start to write up a text. Before I could think, I hit the mass text button. That's when I realize that I sent it to Aomine as well.

"Shit!" Within the first few minutes, I got a reply. I bite my lip as I open it, seeing who it was from. Of course, it was from Aomine. I grit my teeth and hit my face with my phone, pissed that I will be more of a bother.

"Bakagami. You can stay over at my house." I sigh and quickly reply.

"It's fine, Aomine. Kuroko said it'd be fine if I stayed at his house already." The reply was immediate.

"Hell no. You're staying with me. My dad's a cop and you'll be safer here." I groan and roll over on my side.

"I said it's okay. Thank you for everything, though." I was about to set my phone down when it started to beep.

"Taiga, no matter what you say, you are going to stay with me. It's your safest bet." I was tempted to bang my head on my bed.

"Aomine, please."

"Please what? I just want you to be safe."

"I'll be fine at Kuroko's house. You don't have to worry."

"Taiga. I swear to god. You ARE staying at my house." Why won't he just let me stop being a burden? I sigh, seeing that he wasn't gonna give this up.

"Fine…I'll stay with you."

"Good, Tiger. Now, I'll come by and pick you up. I'll have my mom pick us up and go by to get your stuff. I'll go in with you, and then we'll head to my house, sound good? Oh! And I'll bring by Maji Burger too." I smile faintly at how happy Aomine seemed.

"Okay, okay. I got it. See ya tomorrow."

"Bye!" I sigh and quickly tell everyone that I had a place to stay. I yawn and turn off my phone. I looked at the now dark piece of technology, a small smile on my face. I look around before I quickly kiss the screen and set it down. Within seconds, I fall into a deep sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>There we go. Done. Until next time! ~Sweet-Lemonade<strong>


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm so sorry. I've been procrastinating lately because I have the stupid Constitution test coming up and it's just...asdfghjkzcvbnmqwertyuiop. Well, I'll try to update sooner. **

* * *

><p>It was the morning of my discharge. I was trying to put my clothes on, needing a nurse to help keep me steady. That was probably the most embarrassing moment of my life. Once I was done, my whole face was bright nurse didn't mind.<p>

"Don't worry, sir. I've had to do that to SO MANY other men before." This didn't help.

"I-I know. I-it's just embarrassing…" I cover my mouth with my wrist and look away, not being able to hide the blush. The nurse laughs.

"You know, you're really cute." This made me blush even more.

"W-what!?" She just laughs again and winks before walking out of my room. I gulp and sit down on my bed, playing with my new iPod that Aomine and Momoi gave me. A small smile made its way on my face as I look on the back, reading the quote once again.

My eyes started to feel heavy. I lay down and yawn, getting slightly mad at myself. What the hell is wrong with me? I just got up an hour ago! I sigh and close my eyes for just a little bit, but they snap open when I hear a familiar voice.

"Well, Taiga, I hear that you're staying at a friend's house. I guess you won't be able to spend time with me then." I look over at the person who just came into my room, fear clear in my eyes.

"D-dad…" The man in front of me nods, twirling the knife in his hand.

"That's right. I'm just here to…see you off." I gulp as he comes closer, pointing the knife towards me. I start to back up, but almost fall off the bed. I look over and see that even if I did get up, it wouldn't help. He was blocking the only exit.

"G-get away from me! I'll scream!" A smirk formed on his face before he lunged toward me, putting duct tape over my mouth. My eyes widen and before I could react, he put the sharp knife to my neck. A lump formed in my throat as I feel my neck start to bleed slightly. My dad just smirks and leans in close, whispering in my ear.

"I'll forgive you for everything and keep you alive if you tell all your friends that you were lying." I shake my head slightly, tears rolling down my cheeks. His smirk disappeared as he took the knife from my neck and stabbed it into my arm. My eyes widen as I try to scream, the duct tape muffing it.

"How about now, Taiga?! You wanna do as I say now?!" I squeeze my eyes shut, groaning loudly. Dad was never a patient man, so when I didn't answer right after he asked me, he yanked the knife out. I bite my lip and groaned more, tasting the coppery flavor of blood in my mouth. I still didn't give him an answer. Dad just clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"I guess you won't come quietly. Then I'll take you silently." My eyes snap open and I gulp as the knife is pressed against my neck once again, making it bleed more.

"Goodnight, Taiga."

* * *

><p>"Taiga! Wake up!" My eyes snap open, sweat dripping off my forehead. The shear fear of what just happened made me start to cry. I put my hands on the sides of my head and grip onto my hair, sobbing as I try to regain my sanity. I feel a hand touch my shoulder. I jump and look over at who was touching me. That's when I see Aomine, the sad look in his eyes. I just cry even more and reach out to hug him, making him smile slightly. He leans down and puts his arms around my waist, rubbing my back as I cling to him and cry into his shoulder.<p>

"Aomine. Dad was…knife. Blood…dad…" The Touou ace just shushes me and sits down next to me. He kisses my head and pulls away to look me in the eye, a small smile on his face.

"Don't worry, I'm here now. I'm sorry that you had a bad dream, but when you are home with me, I'll make sure that you're safe. You can wake me up whenever you have a bad dream, okay?" I nod slightly and sniffle, rubbing my eyes.

Aomine smiled and hugs me as he runs his hands through my red locks. This soothed me in a strange way, but at this moment, I don't care. All I know is that I'm safe and sound when I'll be with Aomine. And I'm very happy about that.

* * *

><p>"Thank you for choosing this hospital! We hope we don't see you again for a long time." I laugh slightly at the joke one of the nurses made and wave. It had taken about two hours before I was able to leave, but Aomine and I were finally starting off towards Maji Burger. His mom told him that she was gonna meet us there after she was done with her shopping. We were both fine with this, but it started to become a pain since I needed to use crutches. Aomine would help me when I would stumble though, and that was good because I stumbled a lot.<p>

Once we got into Maji Burger, he lets me sit down as he goes up to order us something to eat. I look around at all the full tables, feeling my eyes soften as the people staring at me look away. My head hangs as I feel everyone's attention directed towards me once again.

"Oi! Kagami! I got you the burgers you wanted!" My head shoots up, seeing Aomine sitting down. He grabs his two burgers that he ordered and gave the rest to me. I just stare down at the plastic tray of food, not feeling hungry at all.

"Hey, you should eat. It's not good to starve yourself." I nod slowly, picking up one of the burgers. I unwrap the fatty food and take a bite, feeling my stomach start to stirr. I gulp hard as the burger starts to come back up. Aomine saw this, his eyes soften. He ruffles my hair and takes a bite out of his burger.

I swallow hard and put down the piece of food, pushing the tray away slightly. I look down, my lips trembling as I feel Aomine's stare on me.

"I-I'm sorry, but I'm full." Aomine just nodded sadly and began to eat my leftovers. We sat in silence until a group of girls stared towards us. I look up and see them red faced and shy. This made me gulp slightly.

"W-what happened? D-did you get into a fight?" I open my mouth to tell them a lie when, of course, the Aho had to speak up.

"His dad tried to kill him. Now go away." They all looked shocked, but nodded and did as Aomine said. I glare at him and hit him over the head. He scowled and was about to hit me back, but stopped himself.

"What was that for?"

"For being an Aho! But…" I sigh quietly, knowing that the girls were staring at us now, "C-can you please call your mom so we can go…?" Aomine nodded and grabbed his cell phone, dialing his mom's work phone. With a few simple words, he hung up and got to his feet.

"C'mon, Kagami. We'll go get your stuff and go home, okay?" I blink and smile faintly at the word home.

"Yeah…I'd like that."

* * *

><p><strong>Done. In the processes of writing this chapter, I have gotten my sister into this ship. :3 There's no turning back for her. Lol, until next time! -Sweet-Lemonade<strong>


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey, guys. I'm so sorry for not updating and such. I've been having computer problems. *cries* I HAVE FAILED YOU!**

* * *

><p>I step out of the car and stare at my apartment building. I gulp and start towards the entrance, Aomine trailing behind me. I go over to the elevator, trying to get away from all the shocked faces of my neighbors. I press the button and go into the elevator, waiting for Aomine to get on. He quickly gets in and I press the top floor and watch the doors close slowly. I get a little uneasy as we go up. Of course, Aomine keeps cool. I just pray that dad isn't home.<p>

Once we get off and start towards my apartment, I grab the spare key and unlock the door, peeking in to see if dad was drinking on the couch. I relax as I see that he was gone. I let the door swing open and walk inside, going straight to my bedroom to pack up. The Touou ace just stands in the doorway, keeping watch. I'm really glad that he's here or else I would have chickened out.

"Taiga, I'd hurry it up if I were you." I roll my eyes and look at him.

"I know, just shut up. And what are you saying that for?" It took awhile before Aomine said anything.

"I think I heard your dad's car park outside. He drives a red Mercedes, right?" My eyes widen and I start to pack up at a faster pace.

"Yeah. Come help me pack up. Just stuff clothes in there." The Touou ace nods and kneels down next to my bag, shoving jeans into my duffel bag. I get up and get my stuff out of my bathroom and put them in my bag before zipping it up and slinging it over my shoulder. We both quickly walk out of my apartment and start towards the elevator until we hear it ding, indicating that someone is about to step off. We both gulp and run the other way towards the stairs. Once we got into the stairway, the doors of the elevator opened, showing that it was indeed who we thought it was. Dad. But he was stumbling through the hallway to get to the door. I couldn't help the feelings of sadness and pity wash over me. I mean, he is my dad after all.

As he fumbled with his keys, he began to look around to see if anyone was watching. That's when he locked eyes with me. My eyes widen as I see something I would never like to see in my father's eyes, even if he was the worst person in the world. What I saw was probably the first thing he's felt in a long time. Defeat. He reaches his hand out to me, but before he do anything, Aomine quickly dragged me down the stairs and out to his car where we drove off, no questions asked.

* * *

><p>We were silent in the car. The only time we said anything was when Aomine's mom dropped us off at his house. We both just said thank you and walked inside…well, Aomine walked inside. I sorta stumbled through, like I was stoned out of my mind. The basketball idiot just HAD to laugh at the way I walked, making me scowl at him.<p>

"Shut up, Ahomine! It's hard!" He smirked, making me regret my words.

"That's what she said~. Oh, wait. In this case, that's what he said~." I growl at his words and drop my bag on the floor, finally getting a good look around.

It wasn't a huge house, but it's perfect for a growing family. There was a large living room at the entrance of the nice home and a open concept kitchen connected to the family room. There was even a dining table that looked well used. My eyes had widened at this sight, one thought coming to mind. That must be nice, getting to eat together as a family all the time. I wish I could've had that…

"Oi, Taiga. C'mon. Let's take your stuff up to my room. Can you come up the stairs?" I look up and see Aomine already starting to climb up to his room, my bag in his hand. I gulp and nod, going up after him at a very slow pace. He didn't mind this. He just met me at the top of the staircase, his hand outstretched to help me. I take it and smile slightly.

"Thanks, Aomine." He just shrugs and starts towards the last door in the hallway. There were three other doors. I could guess that two of those were his parent's bedroom and a bathroom, but I don't know about the second. I stop and look at the white door, reading the handmade sign that was taped on it.

"Haeru's room. Stay out, Daiki!" I blink at the name, not really sure who Haeru is.

"Oi! Taiga! Hurry up! You don't wanna see my little sister. She's evil." I look over at him and smile.

"Don't say that about your sibling. I've always wanted a brother or sister." Aomine blinks, but then chuckles a little.

"Yeah, whatever, man. If you had Haeru as your sister, you'd kill yourself." I scowl and roll my eyes, walking past the Aho to his room. Before I could even put my hand on the doorknob, it opened. I jump back slightly as a girl that looked to be in elementary school look up at me, a surprised look on her face. She had an iPod in her hand and guilty look on her face.

"Oi! That's my iPod, you little shit!" A lump formed in my throat as he said the last three words, reminding me of how my dad addresses me. I gulp and turn towards Aomine, a scowl on my face.

"Ahomine. Don't call your sister that, you asshole." He raises an eyebrow at this.

"Why? What does it matter?" I scowl more and cross my arms over my chest.

"I don't like it. And before you even ask why, it's because that's exactly what my dad calls me. Now, I never want to hear you call her that again." The Touou ace went silent, nodding very lightly. He walked over to his sister, scowling, and ruffled her head. I smile slightly at this and walk into his room, freezing in fear when I see something sitting in the middle of the room. A dog bed.

I almost jump back when something moved from under Aomine's sheets. I gulp as the moving figure gets up and shakes off the blankets, showing themselves. The thing that emerged was a Labrador Retriever. It looked to be just a puppy, but it was still scary. I tilts it's head at me then barked. I jumped and I swear I almost screamed. There was a hand on my shoulder followed by the familiar laugh of my rival.

"What? She won't bite." I could feel myself start to shake in my shoes.

"Sh-she?"

"Yeah! Her name's Amai. She's such a cutie, right?" The dog jumps off of Aomine's bed and comes over to us. I yelp and almost leap into Aomine's arms, clinging to him as the mutt whines at my feet.

"G-get it away! I-it's gonna bite meeee!" The prodigy just went silent, shaking slightly, as if he was holding back the urge to laugh at me. I just hug him more, close to tears as Amai starts to tug on my pant legs, her teeth getting dangerously close to my actual leg.

"Amai~! Come here, girl~!" The dog's ears perked up and ran past us both and into Haeru's arms. I pull away from Aomine and rub my eyes that had started to form tears. When I saw the Touou ace's face, I scowled. It looked like he was TRYING his best to not laugh. Keyword here: trying. I smack the back of his head and grab my bag from off of his shoulder and put it in the very corner of his sort of messy room.

I look around and see that he had boxes stacked up in his closet that held probably basketball shoes. His blue painted walls were filled with posters of basketball and Mai-chan. His full sized bed was put in the farthest corner, a window right next to it. He had a creamy white nightstand that held a box of tissues, some lotion, an alarm clock that wasn't set, and a stack of magazines of all kinds. Mainly porn ones. On the other wall was his desk that was mostly occupied by his laptop and his iPod dock. There was some paper here and there along with a couple pens and pencils, but that was mainly it.

I look over and smile, seeing a basketball in his laundry basket. Next to that was his bulletin board that was filled with pictures taken from as far back as when he was a child to when he just got out of middle school.

I blink and go over to get a better look at the photos, flinching as Aomine walks past me, bumping into me slightly. He goes over to his desk and sits down in the gray rolly chair. He opens his computer and quickly types in his password before going onto the internet to look at something. I don't really pay any attention to what he's looking up, too entranced by his memories that are displayed in front of me.

A picture of him as a small child with his first basketball on Christmas caught my attention. I smile slightly at how cute and innocent he was. It's kinda sad to think that after he got into basketball, he wouldn't stop improving until…he almost started to hate it.

I grip onto my sleeve as the words I've heard before go through my head.

"It's hard to hate something you love." That one, simple sentence couldn't be more true. I sigh slightly and look around for something to sit on other than the bed, not seeing anything else. I shrug and go over to his bed, sitting down on the unkempt, red comforter. I look back at the board of memories and smile. At least he got the good ones, and I'm happy about that.

* * *

><p><strong>Well...I'll update sooner...hopefully. I'm kinda on fire right now. Ha! I never knew that 12:12 am was the best time for me to write! Lol. Until then! ~Sweet-Lemonade<strong>


	13. Chapter 13

**I hopefully told you guys that I'm on fire! **

* * *

><p>"So, Aomine. Where am I gonna sleep?" The tanner teen looked over at me from his computer, not noticing what time it was. I didn't even have to look at the clock to know that it's late. I just had to look out the window.<p>

"Hah? You're just gonna sleep in the bed and I'll sleep on the floor." I make a face and shake my head.

"No, no. I'm the guest. I should sleep on the floor." It was Aomine's turn to make a face.

"Yes, you're the guest. So, you should get the bed."

"But I'll feel bad if you wake up and your is sore."

"So what? You were almost killed. I'm not letting you sleep on the floor." Before I could retort, there was a quiet knock on the door.

"COME IN!" I roll my eyes as Aomine shouted this, closing out of the website he was on.

"Hey, honey. Are you two hungry? I made curry rice." Aomine's mom peeked her head in, a small smile on her face. The teen smiled as well and nodded before looking at me.

"Taiga, are you hungry?" I blink and actually look at the clock, seeing that it's only 5:30. Wow…I was way off. I look back at the two, my face becoming flushed because of their stares. I open my mouth to answer when I smell the food from downstairs. Without having to say a word, my stomach speaks for me. It growls loudly, making me flush even more. They both just laugh a little, making my eyes widen. Usually my dad would say something to the extent of me being a pig or that I'm always hungry. This shocked me greatly.

"Well, I think that's a yes. Get cleaned up and meet us at the table for dinner." I blink in confusion.

"We're eating at the table?" I ask, making Daiki chuckle.

"Well, yeah. Where else would we eat?" I shrug, looking away.

"I don't know, just not near each other." There was a long pause before anyone spoke.

"That may be how your family works, but not here. We try to have family dinner almost every night so we can preserve our precious family bond." I smile at Aomine's mom, liking her idea of family dinner. She smiles back and slips out of the room, but not before getting in the last word.

"And, Kagami. Since your family has never been there, well, according to Daiki, we are more then willing to welcome you into ours whenever you need somewhere to go. Okay?" My eyes widen and my mouth opens slightly.

"Th-thank you, M-Mrs. Aomine." She smiles and waves her hand dismissively.

"Oh, you can just call me Josei or mom. I come to either one." I nod slowly as she walks out the door and down the stairs.

I don't know why, but her saying that I was welcome here and that I'm allowed to call her mom made me really happy. I couldn't help but smile. I feel the bed shift, but I don't care. That is until I feel Aomine's hand touching my face.

"O-oi…"

"Taiga, why are you crying?" I blink and wipe my eyes, seeing that he was telling me the truth. But, that is a good question. Why am I crying?

"I-I don't know. I-I'm happy so why am I crying?" A smile spread across the ace's face at my words.

"Well that explains it, Bakagami!" I tilt my head slightly, confused by this.

"Huh?"

"Just shut up and use a tissue." I nod and reach for the box on his nightstand, using the soft paper to wipe my tears away.

We both get up and go to the bathroom, washing our hands before walking downstairs. Everyone was sitting at a long, hardwood dining table. They smiled at us as we descended down the stairs. That's when I see it. They set another place for me. I smile brightly and take my seat next to Aomine and his sister. Once we sat down, they all started to talk about their days and how they felt. Even though I was silent through the whole interaction, I felt like I was part of a normal family. Their family.

* * *

><p>Once dinner was over, Aomine and I put our dishes in the sink and headed upstairs. Before we could go into his room, his sister blocked our way. I didn't mind, but Aomine did.<p>

"Move."

"No. I wanna know why mom said that to Kagami." I blink in surprise. She actually knows my name.

"She said it because she did. Okay? Now, move!" Haeru shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. Before the slightly taller ace could say anything, I sighed and walked in front of him. I kneel down in front of his sister and smiled, a slight blush creeping up on her cheeks.

"You see, Haeru. It's a little complicated with my family right now and I need a place to stay." She nodded, but kept up with the questions.

"But what do you mean by 'complicated'?" I sigh and reach up to ruffle her hair.

"Let's just say that when I'm with my dad, I'm in danger." Her eyes widen at this. I just smile a little more and stand back up.

"W-what does he do?" I shake my head and push her gently out of the doorway.

"I don't want you to know right now. I'll tell you when you're older." The blue haired girl pouted and nodded, showing us her 12 year old side instead of her 23 year old side. I'm really thankful that she still has that side. And Aomine doesn't even know how important that is. Only I do. Well…because if you grow up too fast, you lose all the small things that made you happy back then. But by the looks of this family, they still enjoy those things.

* * *

><p>I lay down on Aomine's bed and sigh, relaxing while he goes back on his computer. I roll over onto my stomach and look over to see what he was looking up. My eyes widen when I see my dad's company website.<p>

"What are you doing, Ahomine?"

"What does it look like, Taiga?" I pout at his answer and sigh.

"You're looking at my dad's website. What good will that do?" A groan came from the tan teen.

"I'm trying to research him and what he does other than drink and beat his kid." I roll my eyes and sit up.

"You could've just asked me. I know what goes on at his stupid company."

"How? I thought he didn't talk about work? Let alone talk to you like a normal person."

"First off, he's not at all normal. Second, he likes to go on vacation, so I then have to run the company for as long as he's gone. And usually, everything goes really smoothly."

"Okay, then what does his company do?"

"Well, it's pretty much a link between other companies. Like, Akashi's dad owns a company. And so does Midorima. Let's say that they want to become allies, but they are very far from each other. That's where my dad comes in. He pretty much says, 'You both have companies that are very far away from each other, so if you give me a percentage of the profit, I will be the link to connect you two'. Get it?" Aomine nods, leaning back in his chair.

"So…with this kind of business, how much does your dad make?" I purse my lips at his question, thinking a bit before I answer.

"Well, I can only give you an estimate."

"That's fine."

"Each year, I think he makes between 107 to 98 million dollars. In both America and Japan." I laughed a little as the Touou ace's eyes looked like they almost popped out his head. His mouth dropped and his shoulders slumped.

"Damn…" I raise an eyebrow, a slight smirk on my face.

"And you think my apartment is nice? Man, if I could, I'd show you my house in America. It's even nicer."

"Really? Like…what makes it nicer?" I chuckle as I try to remember all the rooms in it.

"Maybe it's because of it's indoor pool, the indoor basketball court, the 6 bedrooms, the music and recording studio room, the 7 bathrooms, the basement filled with books, the art room, and the amazing kitchen along with the high ceilings. There's more, but I can't remember." No sound came out of the tanner teen's gaping mouth. I just shrug and look down.

"Yeah, it sounds awesome to live in, but…it wasn't for me. I kinda always wanted to live somewhere where it was nice and cozy, where you got to see your neighbors. Kinda like this house." I smile and look at Aomine who just smiled back, "I like it here."

* * *

><p><strong>Done. I'm still writing a lot on here, I just stop these chapters at where I think would be good, sweet endings. Ya feel me? Well, until next time! ~Sweet-Lemonade<strong>


	14. Chapter 14

**So, here I go. I really hope I publish this chapter on time. **

* * *

><p>"Goodnight, Taiga. Sleep well." I nod and pull the blankets over me until they hide my lips. I close my eyes and try to fall asleep, but see that I'm not at all tired. I lay there for god knows how long until I finally open my eyes again and look at the clock. My eyes widen at the time. It was about 10 o'clock when Aomine fell asleep, but now it's 1 am! What is wrong with me?!<p>

"Taiga? Are you still up?" Aomine whispers, surprising me. I look over and see him staring at me from the floor, the usual bored expression on his face. I sit up and nod, yawning slightly.

"My body's really tired, but…my mind isn't." The basketball ace sighed and got up, walking over to me. I look up at him and see how tired he was. I look down, feeling bad that I woke him up.

"Scoot over." I blink in shock and nod, doing exactly as he says. He lifts up the sheets and slips in bed with me. I blush slightly and quickly look away, putting my hand over my mouth. What is he doing?

I hear a slight chuckle along with a hand on my head, ruffling my hair. I look over at him, seeing his tired smile. He leans close and kisses my forehead, making me blush even more. He chuckles more and lays down, facing towards me.

"Goodnight. See ya in the morning." And with a yawn, Aomine fell asleep. I sigh and reach over to grab his clock, setting before I lay back down and face the wall. I close my again, only to have them snap open when arms wrapped around my waist, pulling closer to Aomine's sleeping form. I try to pry his arms off of me, but to no prevail. I'm too weak right now. I just sigh and try to fall asleep. But, this time, I actually do.

* * *

><p>I open my eyes slowly as I wake up, coming face to face with the basketball idiot. I lazily look down and see that we were pretty much…cuddling. I yawn quietly and try to get up, but Aomine's arms were still around me. I groan and try more, but fail.<p>

"Lay down, Taiga." A shiver went down my back as I hear Aomine's hoarse yet commanding voice. I gulp and look at him, seeing his eyes were narrowed at me.

I open my mouth to protest when he pulls me back down into his warmth. I squirm, wanting to get up to use the bathroom, but calm down in a short amount of time. My eyes start to droop as the tanner teen's scent and body temperature starts to get to me. It was so…relaxing. I scoot closer to him and nuzzle my face into the crook of his neck, putting my arms around his shoulders.

I whimper slightly as he holds me tighter, letting him know that it kinda hurts. He loosens his grip and puts his chin on my head, humming in approval. I close my eyes and was about to drift off into a deep sleep again when the set alarm went off, making both of us almost jump out of the bed. The Touou ace scowls hard and grabs his clock, turning it off before slamming it back down on his nightstand.

"When the fuck did I set that damn thing?!" I look down and start to rub the back of my head, laughing awkwardly.

"W-well…" Out of the corner of my eye, I see him scowl even more. I gulp as he looks at me.

"You set it?" I nod, biting my lip slightly.

"Y-yes. Sorry." He sighs and stretches before he gets out of bed. He does some simple stretches to relax his probably tense muscles and stiff bones. That's when I noticed what he wears for pajama's. A pair of red boxers. That's it.

I blush dark red and lay down, facing the wall as I pull the covers over my head. I could hear him chuckle, his footsteps leading away from me.

"I'll be out in a little bit. I'm gonna go shower." I nod from my place in his bed and started to sit up.

"I'll start to get ready too."

"Oi, oi. Get ready for what?" I blink and look at him, seeing that he was just as confused as I was.

"For school. What else?" The confusion disappears and is replaced with a smile. He laughs and shook his head, his hands on his hips.

"I should have known." He looks up at me, "You're not going to school for awhile."

My eyes widen and I get up, gritting my teeth.

"Why not?!" The bluenette just raises an eyebrow, looking me over.

"Why not? Isn't it obvious? You're not in good enough condition yet. The doctor even told my mom that you have to stay home from school for 2 weeks." My mouth almost drops.

"B-but, that's not fair!"

"It doesn't matter if it's fair or not, you are not going to school. You hear me?" I scowl and cross my arms over my chest.

"What if I call Alex and ask her to give me a ride?" It was his turn to scowl.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Try me." A growl was admitted from the back of Aomine's throat, making me gulp.

"Okay, first off, you'll collapse if you go to school! And second, your fucking dad might come and look for you! Think about what you're saying, Bakagami!" I was taken aback from this, not even really thinking about the second thing. He had a point…

I pout and look away, nodding very slightly. He sighs and comes over to me, putting a hand on my shoulder. He tries to look me in the eye, but I look away from him. His facial expression softens.

"C'mon, Taiga. Look at me. I know you wanna see your team and tell them that you're okay, but you have to think about this. You just got out of the hospital because your dad tried to kill you. If he caught you, he could very easily actually succeed. We wouldn't want that now, do we?" I don't say anything for a moment as a thought that I shouldn't have voice floats through my head.

"I'd get to see mom again…" Once those words left my mouth, I instantly regretted it. Aomine grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him. My eyes widen at how pissed off he was. I gulp and start to squirm, but he won't let go. His eye twitches as he makes me sit down on his bed, his looming figure staring down at me.

Fear coursed through my veins at this, making tears start to form in the corners of my eyes. Aomine leans down a little, his arms crossed over his chest.

"What did you just say?" A lump in my throat formed at how deadly his voice sounded. I begin to shake all over.

"I-I said th-that I-I'd see m-mom again i-if I-I died…" His eyebrow twitched this time, making me choke on my own breath.

"So, you're willing to die just so you can go to school because you MIGHT see your mom?" I didn't say anything. I didn't even I nod, I just sat there, too scared to move.

"Are you a fucking idiot!?" I flinch at the anger that was clear in his voice, "You know, you have people who have done everything they can to help you and you go off and are ready to throw everything everyone has done just because of the off-hand chance that you might see your mom?! Stop acting like a child!"

I nod, the tears spilling down my face. I back up a little on his bed, scared that he might hurt me. Little gasps and whimpers could be heard as I tried to keep silent. Aomine sighed softly and reached out to me, making me recoil.

"Taiga…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell. Please, come here." I nod, trying get my breathing under control, but my breaths hic. The slightly taller one clicks his tongue sadly and starts to climb on the bed with me. I freeze and gulp, fear clear in my crimson orbs.

Aomine sits on his legs in front of me, his arms outstretched towards me. I gulp before crawling slowly towards him, putting my hands against his chest. He puts his arms around my waist and started to whisper soothing words to me as I almost sob into his shoulder.

It doesn't take too long before I calm down though, leaving me just breathing softly on Aomine's chest as he continues to rub my back gently. I pull away and wipe my eyes, looking down.

"I'm sorry, Aomine." He just smiles and kisses my head.

"It's okay. Now, I gotta get ready. Be good and just stay here until my mom picks up my sister. She has a half day today. If you wanna go online, my password is basketball56. There's plenty of food in the fridge and the bathroom in the second to last room to mine. Okay?" I nod, looking him in the eye. I couldn't help but feel bad for what I said.

"Okay… I'm really sorry, Daiki." I lean close and hesitantly kiss his cheek, blushing after I pull away.

"It's fine, really. As long as you don't say things like that again, it'll be okay." I nod and whimper quietly as he gets up and goes over to the door, walking out of the room.

I lay down and stare at the ceiling, a numb feeling starting to wash over me as I zone out. Everything becomes silent and still as time passes quickly and hopefully smoothly.

* * *

><p><strong>And there we go. Another successful chapter. And I'd like to leave with a shout out to Sootymuswoo. Thank you again for the wonderful feedback and the inspiration you left me. You are truly an amazing person. :) Well, until next time. <strong>

**~Sweet-Lemonade**


	15. Chapter 15

**Goodness~ To think that spring break is over tomorrow...wait. IF I TAKE FOREVER TO UPDATE AGAIN, I AM SO SORRY!**

* * *

><p>"Kagami~! Kagami~! Are you okay~?" I feel my body jolt at the sweet, little voice calls out my name. My vision comes back to me, taking in the white ceiling. I blink and shake my head fast. I sit up and rub my head, realizing that I haven't moved at all since Aomine left for school.<p>

"Kagami~?" I look over and see Haeru, a slight tint of red on her slightly tanned face. I smile at her and get up, groaning at how stiff I felt.

"Yeah Haeru, I'm fine. I just need to shower, okay?" She nods and smiles. She turns and runs out of the room and into hers, but not without yelling something.

"When you're done, you can come into my room!" I chuckle and head to the bathroom, my bag in my hand. Once I enter I look in the mirror, seeing that the band-aid on my face that covered one set of stitches was starting to peel off. I scowl and set my bag down on the white granite sink counter. I turn on the water and wait for it to warm up before taking off my clothes, stepping into the bathtub.

I smile as the water washes away all of my worries. I relax and sit down, letting the warm spray hit me in the face. I stay like that for awhile until it starts to get cold. I stand up and quickly wash my hair and body before getting out. I wrap a towel around my waist and direct my attention towards the band-aid again, seeing that I have to pull it off now.

I scowl and quickly rip the stupid band-aid off, biting my lip. That always hurts so bad! And I should know.

I puff out my cheek slightly, hating the site of the uncovered wound. I really don't want Haeru to see it because she'll get worried. I look at my bag and start to search through it, seeing the bottle of makeup that I brought just in case. I start to apply the concealer, hiding the stitches perfectly. I smile and begin to look for an outfit that's comfortable. I pull out a pair of sorta baggy jeans, a belt, my black T-shirt with the NBA symbol on it and my blue boxers.

I quickly get dressed and start to dry my hair with the towel I used. I walk out of the bathroom and put my bag back in Aomine's room before going over to Haeru's door, knocking first before walking inside. She was sitting on her bed that was covered with a light purple comforter. Her room, unlike Aomine's, was bright and colorful, filled with drawings that she had made. I smile and stare at them, one at a time. I could tell that she had some natural talent for drawing.

"Do you like them?" I nod and look back at her, smiling brightly. She blushes and pats the space next to her, inviting me to sit next to her. I do as she wants and sit down, ruffling her hair. She had what appeared to be a sketchbook in her hands. I smile even more as she begins to open it.

"Are those your drawings?" Haeru nods and smiles back, grabbing her colored pencils.

"Yeah! And do you mind if I draw you?" I blink, my face flushing a little.

"U-uh, sure. If you want to." I feel myself smile more as Haeru almost beams with happiness.

"But first, I want you to look at my drawings~!" I chuckle and nod, looking over her shoulder as she flips through the pages. My eyes widen at how amazing she is. It was as if she was like Aomine, getting better every time they practice. But this way…she will never need a rival and she won't ever hate drawing.

"This one's my favorite." I look closely at the picture of the black and white rose that was starting to wilt. It looked like someone actually took a photo of it. I was speechless at how beautiful and breathtaking it was.

"It's…amazing." The girl next to me smiles brightly and blushes before kissing my cheek. My eyes widen and I gulp, my face going bright red.

"U-Uh, Haeru? W-why'd you k-kiss me?" She just shrugs, the blush on her face fading while mine just grew brighter. I clear my throat and look back at her sketchbook, only for her to flip it to a new page.

"Kagami~. Could you sit in the sun and pose~?" I smile and nod, standing up and sitting down in her antique rocking chair. I look over at her, a puzzling look on my face.

"Is this good?" Haeru puffs out her cheeks and comes over to me, making me put one of my hands in my lap. She grabs the other one and puts my elbow on the window sill, positioning my head so that my chin was resting on my hand. I was looking out the window, as if I was thinking deeply. She smiles and claps her hands, running back over to her bed.

"Perfect~!" I smile slightly, but try to keep the mysterious look on my face. I sigh through my nose and close my eyes, hoping to get a little more sleep.

* * *

><p>"...mi…gami…Kagami~." I open my eyes slowly as the orange afternoon light hits my face. I groan slightly and yawn, looking at Haeru.<p>

"Hm? What is it?" She smiles and holds up her sketchbook, making my mouth almost drop to the floor.

"I'm finished~! How does it look?" I just open and close my mouth like a fish out of water. It was…so awesome. It looked exactly like me, but my hair was almost shining. She caught the light on me perfectly and she even got my expression right. My eyes were closed and it looked like I was thinking deeply.

"I-it's…so…it's so amazing! H-how can you draw like that!?" The younger girl giggles and runs over to her bed.

"I just get better every time." I smile and nod. So, I was right.

"That's awesome."

"Hey, Kagami? Do you wanna draw something?" I smile and shrug.

"Sure, but I suck at drawing."

"It doesn't matter~." I sigh and get up, going over to where she was sitting. She hands me the book and her colored pencils. I think for a moment before thinking of what to draw. I turn away so Haeru won't see what I'm drawing until I'm done.

She pouts and leans against her bed's headboard. I frown at how bad I was, but continue to try to draw a little, chibi bird version of Aomine.

"Of all the things dad made me take lessons for…" I mutter under my breath, finishing the bird. I hand her the book and pout, looking away.

I scowl as Haeru starts to laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"Y-you tried to draw Daiki, didn't you?" I nod, making her laugh more.

"I'm not that bad…"

"N-no, It's funny because I can see Daiki like this. You got his expression right and everything!" I smile and start to laugh along with her. We don't even try to stop when the door was opened.

"Taiga, what are you laughing about?" I freeze and turn around, seeing that Aomine was home from school. I gulp and rub the back of my head as his eyes narrowed.

"Oh, well…ya know…stuff." Haeru holds up the picture I TRIED to draw of him, making Aomine's eye twitch.

"You little brat. I don't look like that!"

"I didn't draw it. Kagami did~." Shit.

I flinch as I feel Aomine blow into my ear, putting his chin on my shoulder. He smiles and kisses my cheek, making me blush. His little sister scowls and gets up, coming over to us. She leaned down and kissed my cheek as well, making me blush more. The Touou ace glared at the artist. It was as if he challenged her to a kissing war because they wouldn't stop kissing my cheeks!

I whimper and try to get away, but Aomine grabs me and picks me up bridal style. I yelp and start to squirm, but he doesn't let me go.

"We're going in my room, Haeru. Stay out." She pouts and sticks her tongue out at him. I sigh as Aomine does the same thing. He quickly walks out of Haeru's room and into his, almost throwing me on the nice bed. I yelp as I land on my butt, bouncing a little. He smirks and locks his door before coming over to me, crawling on the bed with me. I blush and start to back up, grabbing a pillow. I throw it at him before he can come closer. Aomine just laughs and comes closer. I gulp as he leans in close, his breath fanning over my neck. I feel his tongue about to lick me when we both hear a familiar voice from downstairs.

"Dai-chan~! You left me behind~!" I sigh as Aomine groans and gets off of me, unlocking the door so Momoi could come in.

"I left you behind for a reason." The pink haired cutie was about to say something when she saw me. I smile awkwardly and wave weakly. Her eyes widen and her mouth is agape.

"K…KAGAMI-KUN~!"

* * *

><p><strong>I'm sorry that this took me a little longer to update. School just started again and it sucks. Well, until next time! <strong>

**~Sweet-Lemonade**


	16. Chapter 16

**I shall get this done soon. I shall try to get it done today. I MUST!**

* * *

><p>"K…KAGAMI-KUN~!" Momoi runs over to me and almost tackles me onto the bed. I yelp and catch her, falling over. I wince in pain and let out a pained groan.<p>

"M-Momoi…please let go. I-it hurts." She squeals and quickly sits up, tears forming in her eyes.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm sorry that someone as sweet as you had to go through that!" I smile slightly and sit up, kissing her forehead. She stops talking and looks at me, surprise in her eyes.

"It's not your fault, Momoi. And, don't worry. I'll be fine." Her lips tremble as she tries to hold back her tears. I smile brightly and wipe away a single drop of saltwater that had escaped her pink orbs. This just made her lose the will power to keep her tears back.

My eyes widen and I try to calm her down as she just sobs, lunging at me for a hug. I gratefully take her embrace, happy that I have friends that care this much about me. I start to run my fingers through her hair, whispering comforting words into her ear. After a while, she calmed down and pulled away from me. She wiped her eyes and smiled, getting up and sitting down on the floor.

I open my mouth to say something when a certain blue haired teen piped in.

"So, Taiga. What'd you do all day?" I gulp and rub the back of my head, laughing awkwardly. I start to sweat slightly as Aomine's eyes narrow at my lack of response. I clear my throat and start to think of a way to say this in a truthful, yet less depressive way.

"W-well…I hung out with your sister."

"I know. But what did you do before that?" I bite my lip, looking away before I reply.

"I-I laid in bed and stared at the ceiling. I kinda zoned out until your sister came back." Aomine sighed and went over to his desk, pushing the office chair towards Momoi before sitting on the bed next to me.

"That's a nasty habit you have. And," The basketball idiot poked the dark bags under my eyes, "You need to sleep more." I scowl and bat his hand away.

"What do you know about sleeping and health?" A slight chuckle was admitted from his throat at my question.

"If you haven't already noticed, my mom's a nurse." My eyes widen at this.

"R-really?!" He nods and lays down next to me, his hands behind his head.

"Yup. That's why it's your safest and best bet to stay here than at Tetsu's house. His parents are always going off on vacation." I sigh and start to stand up when Aomine grabbed my arm and pulled me back down. I yelp in surprise and start to squirm away.

"Nope~. I'm not letting go~. At least, not until you fall asleep." I scowl and try to push him away, but he's stronger.

"Kagami-kun. Just let Dai-chan be. He's always wanted to hold you because he-."

"SATSUKI! SHUT UP!" I start to laugh, making Aomine scowl. "What are you laughing about, Taiga?"

"I just think that I can guess what she was about to say." The Touou ace just scoffs and looks away, trying to hide the very slight blush on his dark cheeks. I smile and yawn, closing my eyes. It didn't take long for me to fall asleep, considering Aomine was right. I do need a LOT more sleep. But, I'll never admit that.

* * *

><p>"You know that he'll have to go back to school after a while. You can't keep him here for no reason when he's stable enough, Dai-chan." I open my eyes very slightly, no one noticing that I had woken up.<p>

"I know, I know. But, I have a plan. I'll just tell both his principal and my principal what's going and ask if he can, ya know, shadow me." There was a pause before Momoi said anything.

"That's actually really smart. I'm surprised."

"SHUT UP!" The Aho's childhood friend shushed him and pointed at me.

"You'll wake him up." The teen sighed and nodded, reaching down to run his fingers through my hair. I whimpered slightly and moved my head closer to the hand that was caressing my red locks. There was a light chuckle coming from Aomine, making me open my eyes a little wider. He smiled down and me and leaned in, kissing my forehead. I blush slightly and yawn quietly. I sit up and rub the sleep from my eyes.

"What were you talking about?" I ask, pretending that I didn't hear their conversation. They both just smile at me.

"We were just saying that it'll be fun to have you coming to our school for a little while." I blink and yawn again, stretching. I winch and grit my teeth as I over-extended one of the wounds. The basketball idiot's eyes soften and he reaches for the bottle of painkillers that I got from the doctor and a glass of water. I look away, ashamed of myself before downing two pills and a butt load of water.

"What do you mean that I'll be going to your school?" Momoi giggles and leans forward, putting her chin on her hands.

"Well, Dai-chan said that you needed to be safe, right? So, we're just gonna explain the situation to the principals and have you shadow him. It'll be so fun~!" My shoulders slump at this statement.

"But…what about my team? My friends? I wanna go back to Seirin." Aomine sighs and puts his hand on my head, rubbing it oh so gently.

"I know you do, but we all just want you to be safe. I think they'll understand." I pout slightly and shake my head, tears starting to form in the corners of my eyes at the thought of leaving them behind.

"No. I wanna go back to my school. I wanna see my team and apologize for not telling them sooner." Piercing blue eyes narrowed at me. I gulp and look away, but only to have my chin yanked back to look at him.

"Taiga. Listen to me. You do NOT get to tell us what you can and can't do. Right now, you are acting like a child and I want you to snap out of it. If you won't, I'll take away your iPod and won't let you go on my computer." I scowl and bite the inside of my lip, turning away in spite of Aomine. He growled.

"I don't need your computer or my iPod. I'll just do nothing."

"Oh, yeah? Then I'll make you go and help at Haeru's school." I scoff and smirk at Aomine.

"Is that it?" I could almost hear his patience snap.

"Fine! Then I'll make it to where you won't get to talk to your team and I'll just say that you're doing fine! I won't let you have any contact and I'll tell them that it's for your safety that they don't talk to you! How's that sound?!" My eyes widen and I shake my head, grabbing Aomine's shirt sleeves.

"N-no! That's not fair! You can't do that!"

"Life's not fair, Taiga! You of all people should know that! But I guess you're so fucking thick skulled to even realize that!" My eyes widen and I let go of Aomine's sleeves, scooting away from him. He's…he's never said anything like that to me before. I gulp and look down, not wanting to meet his gaze.

"I'm sorry, D-Daiki. I'll stop acting like a child." Silence. Silence that was only broken by his small sigh.

"It's okay. I'm sorry I yelled at you. And please, don't cry." I nod and sniffle, wiping my eyes as tears roll off of my cheeks and onto my lap.

"O-Okay. I-I'm sorry." My eyes widen as Aomine wraps his arms around me and pulls me close, rubbing my back.

"There's no need for you to be sorry. Just please, I don't want to see you cry anymore."

* * *

><p><strong>Whoa, I even got a little teary-eyed at the end there. *wipes eyes* Well...I failed. You know how I said at the beginning that I'd get this done in a day? Here's the thing, I wrote that part two days ago. I'm such a fail whale. Until next time!<strong>

**~Sweet-Lemonade**


	17. Chapter 17

**Okay, here's a warning. Just be ready for a HUGE ASS PLOT TWIST! Not in this chapter, well...maybe. I always write my rant before starting on the new chapter of my story! So I have no idea what's gonna happen! It may or may not be in this chapter. You may never know O.o**

* * *

><p>I gulp as I walk into Touou Academy behind Aomine, looking away as everyone's attention was directed on us. I could almost hear everyone's comments about me following him. I whimper quietly and direct my attention towards the ground. Aomine looked back at me and smiled, putting his arm around my shoulders.<p>

"What's going on in that head of yours?" I blink and smile a little, rubbing the back of my head.

"O-Oh, it's nothing. I just think that I don't really fit in." Aomine raises an eyebrow and rolls his eyes.

"Don't worry. To everyone else, you're just a new student that's shadowing me." He does have a point. I smile and shrug, fixing the tie that he let me borrow.

"Dai-chan! Kagami-kun! You're finally here! School started 20 minutes ago!" I scowl and look at the basketball idiot, pissed that he promised to not make me late, but did anyways. He just laughs and starts to lead me through the school to our first class, Momoi yelling at him from behind. I sigh and shake my head, knowing that a lot of people will be staring at me because 1, I'm the new kid and 2, I'm shadowing Aomine. Great. A lot of unwanted attention.

* * *

><p>"Now class, please turn to page 85 in your English books." I blink and look over at Aomine who was asleep, his head on his book. I scowl and grab it and pull it out from under him, trying not to laugh when his face slams down onto his desk. Before he wakes up, I turn to the correct page and look it over. I smirk as I see that they're studying stuff that I already know. The pronunciation of the letter R. This is gonna be fun.<p>

"Taiga...You bastard." I stiffen and look over to see Aomine staring at me, his head still on his desk. His eye was twitching and his lips were turned in an upward, twisted smile. I gulp and open my mouth to say something when the teacher comes over to us, his attention directed at Aomine. He hits the Aho gently on the head with his book and scowled.

"Mr. Aomine, I'd hope that you'd at least TRY to look like a model student while you are being shadowed." I make a face and look out the window, not wanting the teacher to get mad if he saw that I was holding back my laughter. Aomine would probably explode if he tried to be even look like a good student.

"Kagami Taiga, correct?" I stiffen and turn towards the tall teacher who was looking down at me. I gulp and nod.

"Y-yes." He smiles kindly at me and glances over at the pissed off idiot.

"What are your feelings towards Mr. Aomine when he is acting like this?" I don't say anything, feeling awkward enough to be asked such a question on the spot. Like, how do I even answer?!

"Uh...I don't really mind because I know that Aomine is...it's hard for him to focus when the only thing that goes through is basketball." I smile brightly, "I mean, I feel the same way." The man in front of me sighs and pushes his glasses up his nose.

"Well said. Now, would you please read the example and say any word with the letter R." I nod and get to my feet, reading the small tongue twister that was provided.

"Rodney and Randy went to the Roller Rink because Rudy and Roxy were going." THe teacher smiles and heads back to his desk, writing down a phrase in English. He points to it and looks at Aomine.

"Mr. Aomine. Please read this for me." A groan was his reply as he got to his feet and looked at the board.

"I like the color...hed." Everyone started to laugh. I covered my face as he scowled. I grab his arm and pull him back down into his seat. Once the laughter died down, I look at him. He had his head down on his desk, his arms hiding him. I sigh and pat his back, getting more attention directed toward us.

"It's okay, Aomine." He just moves away from my touch.

"This is one of the reasons I hate school. Everyone just thinks they're better than me." I smile slightly and raise my hand. I asked to be excused and grab Aomine as I run out of the classroom.

"Aomine, they may be better at math or English or history, but when you play basketball, you are the one they all wanna be. You have the passion and the desire to be the best. And that's what separates you from them." We both were silent for awhile before Aomine started to walk away. I blink and run after him. I was gonna ask him where he was going, but he answered me before I could even say a word.

"Come with me. You'll see where we're going."

* * *

><p>I smile as I take in the sight of the beautiful school grounds. I don't even notice when the Touou ace lays down and looks up at the sky. That's when a hand grabs my wrist and pulls me down. I land on something...hard, yet softer than concrete. I look down and see that I was sitting in Aomine's lap.<p>

A bright blush covered my face as I tried to get up, but he put an arm around my waist. He smiles and blows into my ear, making me shiver.

"You know, I would have liked it more if you could have worn a girl uniform." The blush darkened and I started to shake in embarrassment. I curl up in a ball and shake more. Aomine just chuckles and puts his arms around me.

"You're so adorable when you're embarrassed."

"No, I'm not." Of course, my words didn't sound powerful at all, making Aomine laugh.

"Are you actually trying to win the cuteness award? Cause I think you just won." I scowl and turn my head away, uncurling from the ball I was in. No matter what I say, Aomine will always say that I'm adorable. I smile faintly as he puts his chin on my shoulder, his eyes closed. You know...maybe being cute in his eyes isn't that bad.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm so sorry that I took so long. But, here's the good news. SCHOOLS OUT IN 4 WEEKS! I'LL HAVE MORE FREE TIME TO DO THIS! <strong>

**HAPPY AOKAGA DAY~! 510 FOREVER! UNTIL NEXT TIME!**

**~Sweet-Lemonade**


	18. Chapter 18

**I'm sorry that this took so long. You guys probably don't care about my life, but I'm just gonna say that shit went down so fast that I couldn't get this chapter done as soon as I'd have liked. Sorry. Well, hope you enjoy. :)**

* * *

><p>I open my eyes, looking at the ceiling. But, it wasn't just some random ceiling. It was mine. I groan and sit up, looking around to see that there were no windows and no door. The only thing in my room other than my bed and I was a knife. It was just sitting there, taunting me. Reminding me of the time I used to cut myself. I just stare at the sharp utensil, feeling the life drain out of me.<p>

I reach out to grab it, but someone got it before me. I look up and see who I never thought it would be. Mom. She was smiling wickedly as she raised the knife and put it to her neck. She cracked her head to the side and pressed the cold metal to her neck, blood dripping down to her shoulder.

"You did this to me." Her voice was warped and sounded evil. My eyes widen at what she says. I reach out to grab the knife from her hands, but she presses it in more. Blood started to almost pour out of her like a waterfall. This made me back up into the corner.

It didn't take long for her to die right in front of my eyes. But I could tell that this was just the beginning of the horrors I'm about to see. The pool of red liquid starts to mold into something. When it took shape, I stopped breathing. My dad walked over to me, the knife turning into a gun in his hand.

My throat went dry as he points the barrel at my head. But the thing that puzzled me the most was the look in my father's eyes. Sadness was crystal clear in his crimson orbs. It's strange. It's as if mom and him switched personalities.

I jolt out of my thoughts when I heard something I never thought that I'd hear. Especially from him of all people.

"I'm so sorry Taiga." My eyes widen and I begin to sit up, but freeze dad takes the safety off.

"Please forgive me." There was then a bang that echoed through the room.

* * *

><p>"NO!" I scream as I jolt up from my napping position. I look around quickly and see that I was still on Touou's rooftop. I gulp dryly and curl up into a ball, my head between my knees as I grip onto my hair almost painfully. My choked back cries were almost silent as I regain my sense of reality. I take a deep, shaky breath as I hear Aomine stir. The tanned ace yawns and sits up, scratching the back of his neck.<p>

"You awake, Taiga?" I didn't have to say a thing to make the bluenette realize what I was doing. He sighed gently and scooted over to me, putting an arm around my shoulders. No other words were said for awhile. And only then, it was because Aomine pulled me closer.

"It's okay, Taiga." After that, it took a couple of minutes until I was calm enough to breath correctly. I was lucky because the moment I looked fine, Momoi's head popped up from where the ladder is, a big, bright smile on her sweet face.

"Dai-chan! Kagami-kun! Practice is starting! You don't want to be late!" I blink and open my mouth, but before I could even think of what I was going to say, Aomine cuts in.

"Satski. I thought I told you that I wouldn't be going to practice while Taiga's hurt." I smile faintly and get up, wobbling slightly.

"Don't worry, Aomine. I actually really like watching you play basketball." A slight dusting appeared on his dark cheeks. He jumped to his feet and almost ran off of the edge of the large water tank that we were currently on. I quickly run after him, seeing that he did indeed jump off, but grabbed onto the ladder and started down to the main part of the roof. I scowl and start down after Momoi, wondering how he could do that.

* * *

><p>It took us no time at all to get to the gym where Aomine's team was already practicing. I was behind the slightly taller ace, as to not be seen. That's when I hear one of his teammate's start to come up to us, shouting.<p>

"Aomine! You're late, damn it!" I could tell by the sound of their voice that it was Wakamatsu, the new Touou captain. I flinch slightly and hide more behind the ace. Another voice is heard in the background that didn't sound as harsh.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Aomine is in my class and I could have stopped him from going on the roof with Kagami, but I didn't! I'm sorry!" I heard sounds of surprise from everyone in the spacious room.

"Kagami? As in, Kagami from Seirin?" I gulp as Aomine chuckles and grabs my shoulder, pulling me out into view.

"Yup. He's gonna be with us for a little while." The excitable blond stares at me for awhile before scowling and looking at the tanner boy.

"What did you do, Aomine? Did you kidnap him!? Blackmail him!?" I flinch again and scoot closer to Aomine, feeling safer around him.

"No. Why do you think I did that? He's with me so I can protect him. And he's okay with that."

"Really? Or are you just trying to get into his pants?" My eyes widen as I feel Aomine's safe presence turn foul. He pushes me to the side and takes a step closer to his captain, getting in his face out of anger.

"What did you just say, you bastard?"

"You heard me. You're probably just acting like the good guy just so you can a good fuck out of him before you just toss him away, just like all the girls you've dated." I feel my heart start to beat faster, taking in the whole situation too quickly.

"It's not like that! I would never do that to him! Especially after I know what has happened to him!"

"Oh, really?! Please explain to me what has happened to Kagami that makes him incapable to protect himself?!" I watch as Aomine starts to say something, but stops himself, his menacing aura going back to it's calm nature.

"I can't tell you. Not without Taiga's permission." Wakamatsu raises an eyebrow and looks at me, smirking slightly as he comes over to me. I couldn't help but get intimidated as he towered over me slightly.

"So, Kagami," he starts, brushing some hair out of my face, "Is what Aomine saying true? And, if so, what is it that makes you need protection."

I gulp, my body going stiff at the close proximity in which we were in. I knew that he could tell that too. Wakamatsu quickly backs off and I exhale deeply, clutching my chest. The captain's eyes widen as I back away and almost trip on my own feet. I put my hand on the wall to support my weight as I take deep breaths.

Being that close to someone who seems as hostile as my dad is pretty scary in my opinion. I feel a gentle hand land on my shoulder, making me flinch and loose my balance. I fall and land hard on my ass with a "oof". I winch and sigh, embarrassed at how I'm acting. I scowl when Aomine starts to laugh, reaching his hand out to help me up. I take it gratefully and yelp slightly as he pulls me up so fast that I almost slam into his awaiting arms. My face flushes and I push him off of me, opening my mouth to yell at him. But before I know it, he grabs the sides of my face gently and starts to rub circles on my cheeks, doing it especially hard on the spot where the cut is. My eyes widen as he pulls off and rubs the makeup in his fingers, making the tan skin lighten in color.

"I thought there was something off, Taiga." I scowl and wipe the rest of the concealer off of my face, showing his team that I was injured. Their eyes widen and they were about to surround me, but Aomine narrows his eyes. They all nod and back off, leaving me alone. I sigh to myself at their behavior and start towards the bleachers. Aomine pats my back and heads off to change, leaving me alone in the corner of the gym to reflect on my strange and awful dream.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry if this chapter sucked. As I said, I've been very busy because of my GOD DAMN $#&amp;%*&amp;% #$ TEACHER! Lol. Well, until next time!<strong>

**~Sweet-Lemonade**


	19. Chapter 19

**I don't really have anything to say. XD Lol, that's a** **first. I would give you a warning, but I don't wanna ruin anything. :3 I'm so evil. That's your hint. **

* * *

><p>I lean against the wall as I watch the strong basketball team practice in front of me, my eyes trained on the dark skinned ace. It made me really happy to see that small, somewhat goofy smile on his face. It was comforting to know that I'm the reason he acts like he did back in middle school before his talent blossomed. I sighed quietly and reach into my bag, fishing out my headphones and iPod. I plug in everything and put my headphones on and close my eyes, listening to my music. Sadly, that relaxing moment didn't last long. Mostly because Momoi came up to me and tapped my shoulder. I look at her and take one of the ear muffs off.<p>

"What is it." She giggles and points to the large stage that was probably used when they weren't in the gym.

"I can hear your music all the way from the stage. You should turn it down." I flush slightly and do as she says, my eyes widening as a new song comes on. My mom's favorite song, to be exact.

"What is it, Kagami-kun? Is something bothering you?" I gulp and shake my head slightly, forcing a smile to cover the hurt.

"Oh, I'm fine." Pink orbs soften at my obvious lie and turn to see Aomine and his team taking a break. She faces me, an all knowing look in her eyes.

"Please tell me. I really don't want to have Dai-chan come over and ask you." My eyes widen and I turn away, pissed that she would do that.

"Fine. My mom's favorite song came on. That's it." Momoi smiles faintly at me and sits down next to me. She pats my head and smiles even more.

"Thank you. I just want you to know that Dai-chan isn't the only one who's there for you. If you need to talk, but you don't want to tell him, you can call me," my eyes widen as she continues on, "Here, give me your phone. I'll add my number and you can add your number." I nod and grab my old as dirt phone out of my pocket and hand it to her. She giggles and quickly adds herself to my contacts.

Right as we finished, Aomine finally noticed what we were doing and came over to us, a puzzling look in his eyes.

"What are you doing? Are you trying to hook up with Taiga?" I smile as Momoi starts to get a little irritated, standing up to scold Aomine for thinking that way. Saying that she loves Kuroko and how she wouldn't do that when I'm in this state of mind. Blah blah. Aomine looked like he just zoned out as she yelled at him. He looks away from her and grabs his water bottle, squeezing some of the sports drink into his mouth.

"I was joking, Satsuki. I know that you're not that cold hearted." I start to scoot away as their argument began to escalate. It didn't take too long before they were both screaming at each other. I sigh and sit on the stage, looking through my missed calls. That's when I see one from the hospital. All the others were from my teammates.

I scroll over the one from the hospital when something catches my eye. There was a call from my dad. I gulp and quickly listen to it, unable to speak at the shocking words that come out of his mouth.

"Taiga...I…" There was an irritated sigh before he continued on, "Look, I just want you to come home. I don't know why I would want something as worthless as you to be with me, but I just do. So, come home...please." Towards the end, I heard his tone started to soften. He sounded as if he was about to cry once the message was over.

"End of message. Press 7 to-" I quickly slam my finger on the 7 button, never wanting to hear my dad like that ever again. Without much more thought, I listened to the others and started to the hospital to get my stitches out.

* * *

><p>I sit in my old hospital bed, waiting for the doctor to come in. Aomine was sitting next to my bed, reading one of his magazines. We didn't say anything, knowing that if we did, the air would become tenser than it already is. I think it's because all of my wounds are uncovered and he keeps stealing glances at all of them. I could tell that he hated seeing my body in that state.<p>

It didn't take long for the doctor to come in, his usual lopsided smile on his cheery face. I never really noticed that much about him, but now that I look closer, there's a scar going down his face. It was dangerously close to his eye. I didn't know that he had gotten such a wound. Hell, I don't even know his name!

"Well, Mr Kagami. It seems you got my message. I was worried that you were one of those people who don't check their voicemail!" I smile at his sense of humor and winch afterwards as he begins to take out the stitches, one wound at a time.

Of course, I was given some pain killers so it wasn't so bad. But even with that, it was pretty bad. I turned my head slightly and saw Aomine's knuckles clutching his magazine so hard that they turned white. He held the flimsy book in front of his face as to not see the medical yarn being pulled out of my flesh. I chuckle and lean back slightly on my bed.

"You know, you can just wait outside if this is bothering you." Aomine slammed what he was reading down into his lap, looking pissed off.

"It's not bothering me at a-" He stopped mid sentence as another string was pulled out of my leg. His eye twitched and he quickly got to his feet and walked outside. A bark of laughter came from my mouth as he closed the door, but not without scowling at me before he left the room.

I look down at the doctor as he works diligently on my legs, a very serious look on his face. His light brown hair was pulled back by some bobby pins, just like was coach does. It didn't look girly at all, either. I can't help but feel a little bad that I haven't thanked him properly.

"Uh, doctor?" His dark, hazel eyes look up at me, a surgical mask covering his mouth and nose.

"Hm? What is it? Do you think you need more pain killers?" I shake my head.

"I was just wondering what you're called so I can thank you." I could tell that he was smiling, the corners of his eyes crinkling in amusement. That's when I see that he looks like he would be a good husband and father, not that I'm thinking of him that way. I'm just wondering what it'd be like to have him as a dad instead of the one I have now.

"Just call me Dr. Kyuseishu." I nod, bowing my head and putting my hands together.

"Thank you for everything you have done, Dr. Kyuseishu. How could I ever repay you?" The doctor went silent for awhile as he continued his work.

"I'd just like to know one thing, Kagami Taiga," I stare at him, wondering what he wants to know, "Would you tell me who did this to you?"

I gulp and rub the back of my head before I even utter a word.

"My dad, sir." There was a small sigh from the man. He stood up and started on my arms when he was done with my legs.

"I was hoping it wasn't. Your father is Kagami Shijo, correct?" I nod slowly, wondering how he knew that. I guess he could read my thoughts because he chuckled sadly.

"It's a shame that he could do this to you. I remember back in high school how loving and caring he was to everyone, especially to your mother." My eyes widen and I shake my head slightly.

"You must have him mistaken for someone else. My dad is unable to show emotion." Kyuseishu sighs deeply and stops his work, taking the mask covering his face off.

"No, I remember him. He was my best friend," He smiled before he finished his sentence, "Even after he started dating my crush. But I know that I was way out of Yasashii's league." My mouth started to hang open. He just smiles and ruffles my hair, closing his eyes and tilting his head to the side slightly.

"But if I did have a chance, then I would have been your father."

* * *

><p><strong>DUN DUN DUUUUUUN! OH MY GAWD! WHAT A PLOT TWIST! BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE TO COME! LOL! I TOLD YOU I'M EVIL! :D <strong>

**Until next time**

**~Sweet-Lemonade**


	20. Chapter 20: Kyuseishu's POV

**Chapter 20?! ALREADY!? Holy shit! I never thought that I'd get this far to be honest. Lol. Well, here's the new chapter so you don't get mad at me for dropping that last twist on you guys. I'm also gonna do this chapter a little differently so I don't have to do so many quotation marks and make it sound weird (to me, lol). It's gonna be from the doctor's POV so it's easier to explain stuff. Okay, enough of my rant! XD Have fun reading!**

* * *

><p>It was the first day that I had transferred to Rakuzan High. I was really nervous because I was that one nerdy kid that no one really cared about. I mean, girl thought that I was cute, but that was it. They never really liked me. Not like the school's favorite basketball player, Kagami Shijo. Everyone loved him. I had heard rumors about him from my old high school, Shutoku High. He was said to be one of the scariest guys you could ever encounter if you got on his bad side. That's why I tried to stay away from him at all cost. But that didn't last long.<p>

I was walking to my locker, looking down at my feet as people walked past me, when I ran into something. Or someone. I was the one to fall, but the other person's books fell on the ground as well.

"S-sorry, I wasn't paying attention." I say as I pick up both of our books. I look up and feel my blood turn cold. Standing in front of me was the legend himself. Kagami Shijo. He looked to be about 6 foot 10 and he's only a sophomore. I start to shake as he reaches down, probably to hit me, but I was surprised at what happened next.

He took my hand and helped me to my feet, a big cheery smile on his face that complimented his sharp features. His eyebrows were pretty long and were strangely split. They were the same color as his blood red hair. His spiky bangs covered most of his forehead. His eyes were a different story. They were a bright, almost comforting red.

"Sorry, man. I wasn't pay attention either. What's your name?" I gulp before I answer his question.

"U-uh, Kyuseishu. Shuu Kyuseishu." The basketball player's smile just widened.

"I'm Kagami Shijo. It's nice to meet you." That's when his smile disappeared and was replaced with a puzzled look, "Are you new here? I haven't seen you before."

I nod slowly, wondering how such a big and intimidating guy can be so...nice. A very light chuckle escaped his lips as he gratefully took his books from my hands.

"You know, Shuu, I think we're gonna be good friends."

* * *

><p>Two months after that day, we had become best friends. He taught me how to play basketball and I helped him study since he really needed the help. But, for some reason, we always came to my house. I never really questioned it, it was just a quiet thought in the back of my mind. As time went by, we were always seen together. Even though he was the most popular kid in the whole school, he chose me to be his best friend. I still do not know why to this day.<p>

That's when she came. Utsukushi Yasashii. Her long, beautiful, bright red hair was in a braid that just barely touched the ground. She was wearing a small tiger necklace with earrings to match. Her glasses were tiger print and looked perfect on her. The minute I saw her, I fell in love. But not as much as Shijo did. The only thing he talked about was her and how beautiful she was. I could tell, he got hit by Cupid's arrow pretty hard. His teammates even began to make fun of him except for a select few. The two that were supportive about his falling in love was Aida Kagetora and Aomine Tsuyoi.

I gotta say, it was pretty funny watching Shijo act when he was around her. He was a complete and utter idiot, tripping on things and trying to show off, but failing. She found it cute and started to hang out with us a lot more. It didn't take long before Yasashii and Shijo started dating. I was happy for them and not at all upset about it. Mostly because Shijo asked me if it was okay before he asked her out. He really is a great friend to have.

* * *

><p>Everything seemed to change in our last year. Both Yasashii and I started to notice Shijo's odd behavior. He'd be his normal self one minute, then he'd be a completely different person. I remember the time he did it at my house and made me worry.<p>

"You know, Shuu. I really wanna be the one to make Yasashii happy. I also wanna have a kid with her. Hopefully a son. I hope we do have a son! If we do, I bet he'd look like me, but have Yasashii's hair. He'd have her good and caring heart and her angel-like personality. But he'd be good at sports! He'd play an instrument and be able to sing just like her," the expression on the taller man's face had changed from it's friendly appearance to a dark smirk, "And he won't be so fucking worthless."

After he had said those words, he had covered his mouth, looking as horrified as I that he said something like that. He quickly took back what he said and apologized for the way he was acting. Even though this shocked and worried me, I let it go and forgot about it. What a mistake that was.

* * *

><p>Yasashii and I had started to notice changes in Shijo within 4 weeks of the new school year. It seemed that he'd be a different person each day. One day, he'd be a farmer and called himself and American name that he heard in class and the next day, he'd be back to normal. We had our suspicions, but couldn't proceed to ask him when the last 2 months of school rolled around.<p>

We were waiting outside the gates of school to greet our friend when he got out of the car. He had a dark scowl on his face as he walked into the school, a frightening aura almost flowing off of him. Yasashii tried to ask him what was wrong, but he ignored his own girlfriend. He even ignored me. He didn't talk, and when he did, you had better pray that he wasn't talking to you. Everything that came out of his mouth were just insults. He belittled people and got into fights, usually winning since he was in good physical condition. No one could believe that he could ever act like this, but he did for the rest of the school year.

On the last day of school, he came and was back to his normal self before the sociopathic side came out. Everyone was pretty upset at him and he didn't mind. He actually was hoping people would get mad at him.

He apologized to every single person before he got to us. He looked so upset that we couldn't help but forgive him a little bit. Then, we heard the news.

* * *

><p>"Shuu, Yasashii. I am so sorry for the way I acted. I won't blame you if you never forgive me, but just let me tell you guys this. My mom died 2 months ago. I don't know why, but after I found out, I started to act like that. After awhile, I started going to a mental health doctor and he…" The sigh that came from his mouth was almost heartbreaking, "I have multi-personality disorder."<p>

It turned out that he had no family left. He dad left them when he was born and his mother's family had died. He was left alone and had to fend for himself. And with many tears and solemn words, we were able to get past his behavior. Years later, after college, Shijo and Yasashii got married. I became a doctor and was leading a successful career. Then, a patient came along. They were probably one of the saddest patients I have ever had to this day.

* * *

><p>Shijo and Yasashii Kagami both came to me to check if Yasashii was pregnant. When I examined her, I found that she will indeed, conceive a child, but at a cost. I explained to the two that if Yasashii had a child, she would die. Either after giving birth or in a couple years. The expression on Shijo's face changed from the happiness he had been feeling to nothing more than a deep sadness. He began to beg his beloved wife to have an abortion, but she wouldn't listen. She wanted a child so much that she'd sacrifice her own life to bring him into this world. And I guess that's what started this whole mess.<p>

* * *

><p>"Now, I'm sitting here today, Taiga, explaining to you why your father is the way he is. He can't help it. I don't blame you for hating him, but I just want you to know that deep down in his heart, he is trying to get out and tell you how much he loves you." I smile gently and rub my soul-nephew's back as tears stream in rivers down his cheeks, "Please don't cry. He really does love you. I promise."<p>

* * *

><p><strong>I'm sorry, I know I'm bad with past tense. I've only done it twice! This being my second time! Well, that was unexpected now, wasn't it? I came up with it in the shower, lol. Until next time (because I feel sick XD)<strong>

**~Sweet-Lemonade**


	21. Chapter 21

**Okay, I just came up with an awesome idea. Well, something that I would find awesome. YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS IF YOU DON'T WANT! But, I was thinking that those of you who are good at drawing, I want you to draw one of your favorite parts of my story and send it to me on my Tumblr. I'm sweet-lemoness. THIS IS AN OPTION! I JUST WANNA SEE WHAT YOUR GUY'S DRAWING STYLES ARE AND WHAT YOUR FAVORITE PARTS ARE! I'M NOT TRY TO PROMOTE ANYTHING! I SWEAR! I LOVE YOU GUYS TOO MUCH!**

* * *

><p>After what Dr. Kyuseishu said, I couldn't help but cry. I cup my hands over my face and try to hide. The doctor just smiled faintly and went back to work, taking my stitches out one wound at a time, sobbing the whole time. I don't even try to conceal my emotions when the door was opened and I heard Aomine gasp before he rushed in. Once he reached the edge of my bed, questions tumbled out of his mouth. I didn't even try to answer him. Instead, Kyuseishu spoke to him.<p>

"It seems that Mr. Kagami has had an...emotional experience. He needs some time to cool down. Please give him some space." The Touou ace nods slowly, a worry some look in his eyes.

"Okay. Come and get me when you're done taking the stitches out." Kyuseishu nods and puts his mask back over his face, focusing on his work once again.

I couldn't calm down for the life of me. I had stopped crying once Aomine left the room, but my breathing was all over the place. The doctor just hushed me every so often when I started to hyperventilate. He was always so gentle and calm, even in situations like this.

"Mr. Kagami. I can hear your friend's parents coming. I'd try to calm down if I were you." I nod and practice taking deep breaths as the door was opened, Haeru running in before her parents. The smile on her face disappeared as her eyes spotted all of the wounds that covered my body. I smile sadly as she runs to me, grabbing onto my leg as she began to cry.

"K-Kagami! Y-you're hurt! W-what happened!? I-I was gonna b-bring you in for s-show and tell!" I chuckle slightly and begin to stroke her hair soothingly as her tears wet my bandaged leg. Kyuseishu sighed and clapped his hands once he was done, taking off the red stained gloves and throwing them away. He smiles faintly and pats my head, a look of pride in his eyes.

My eyes widen as the doctor leans in to hug me gently, whispering something in my ear that I have never heard before.

"I'm so proud of you." I couldn't hold back the overwhelming emotions that had been ignited by those simple words. As he pulls away, I reach out to keep him close to me, thinking that he'd leave me for good. Kyuseishu just smiles more and shakes his head, grabbing his clipboard before he walked out of the room.

"I am sorry, Mr. Kagami, but I have other patients. I would like to see you for coffee later, though. Please call me when you are feeling better," He turned and looked at me, bowing slightly, "It was a pleasure seeing you."

* * *

><p>After that visit to the hospital, Aomine's dad always said goodbye to me whenever he left the house, just like what he does to his kids. Aomine's mom would ask me what I wanted for dinner every night and would usually make it. The two of them both knew my dad and had a lingering thought in the back of their heads ever since he told them that my mom was pregnant. I know this because they told me.<p>

They told me once they found out that I was, in fact, Kagami Shijo's son. It was heartbreaking for them to find out that...he really went off the deep end. But the thing that was awful for me was when I told Aomine about what Kyuseishu had told me. The look in his eyes was enough to make a grown man cry. I thought I was, but I held my tears back.

That was 3 days ago. Today is a new day and yesterday was the past. That's at least what I want to believe.

"Oi, Taiga. We're gonna be late." I blink and nod, running after Aomine who was really far ahead of me. I wished that I would never have to do what I'm doing today. But, sadly, it has to be done. I have to go to court. I have to go up to the stand and tell the world what my dad has done. I have to prosecute him. I know I'll win. The evidence is so overwhelming. And with that said, I have to watch my dad go to prison where he will most likely be killed. It is a fact, that if you are in prison for doing something to a child, the inmates will kill you.

No matter what my dad has done, no matter how much I hate him, I don't want him to die. My true father is trapped in his body, connected to the half of him that did this to me. I may hate my dad, but I love my father.

"I'm coming! Wait up!"

I don't want his life to end this way. I don't want to put him through the same hell that I was put through because he couldn't help it. I want him to put up a fight. I want him to plead insanity. But I know he won't. He has too much pride, that other side of him. I just want my father to come back. I want him to be just like he was in high school. I want him to act the way he did before I was born. Too bad that I know this will never happen.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry, bros for making this so...what's the word? Ah! Terrible. In all senses of the word. Lol. I know you don't wanna hear me rant and all, but thank you to those of you who like my story. It means a lot. As people say, not everyone is gonna like what you write, but I'm glad I got you guys. Thank you so much and have an amazing day. <strong>

**~Sweet-Lemonade**


	22. Chapter 22

**So, like...I know that last chapter sucked and so on, but I will try harder! I was having a little trouble getting motivated due to...reasons, but then one of my friends and I started to talk and they totally made me feel so much better! I'd like to thank Sootymuswoo for just being awesome. :)**

* * *

><p>I squeeze my eyes shut and cover my face with my hands as lights are flashing around me. Questions were thrown at me from all directions as I walk into the courtroom.<p>

I look around the large hallway that leads to my father's death. I couldn't help but feel saddened by this thought. I reach down and grab Aomine's hand, squeezing it tight while we are led to our seats. I see my lawyer smile and get to his feet as he watches us come in through the huge doors. We shake hands and begin to acquaint ourselves.

"It's an honor to be able to meet you, Mr. Kagami. And it's a pleasure to take your case," that's when the slightly shorter male glares at dad from over my shoulder, "I'm just glad we can get that asshole in prison. I just hope that he dies in there."

I scowl and yank my hand away from my attorney. He gives me a puzzling look before I am able to speak.

"I may hate my dad for what he has done, but I love my father." This just confused him more, but I don't care. I just sit down and wait for the judge to come in. I look over to my right, regretting that I did. What I saw was the most pitiful looking man I have ever laid eyes on. I could feel my heart sinking lower and lower as I watched him sink deeper and deeper into despair.

Without a second thought, I quickly turn away. I clench onto the fabric of my shirt and take a deep breath. That's when I hear it. The words I didn't wanna hear. The words that would only make this worse.

"Taiga...I'm sorry." I let my head fall back, biting my lip to stop myself from breaking down right then and there.

"Shut up, dad… Just, please, please plead insanity." I whisper so low that I highly doubt that he heard me. And I was right. He just continued to apologize quietly until the judge finally came into the room, making both of us realize that this would probably be the last time we see each other.

* * *

><p>"We are here for the case of Kagami vs. Kagami. How does your client plea?" I watch my dad's lawyer with hopeful eyes, but feel my shoulders slump at his answer.<p>

"We plead guilty." I let my head hang as they begin to tell the reasons why. I want to zone out, but can't when they call my name. I look up in time for them to tell me to go to the stand. I nod and get to my feet, slowly going next to the judge. I sit down and look out at the people before me. Some of my friends, some of dad's friends. Some of the people who don't really care for me, some of...dad's enemies.

I take a deep breath as the first question was asked.

"When did your father begin to physically abuse you?" I close my eyes and think before I answer. Once I opened them again, I saw Dr. Kyuseishu come in. He smiled at me and sat down.

"My father never beat me. My dad did when I was 8." People looked at me as if I was crazy, but very few people didn't. But one of those looks made me smile slightly. My father's eyes were filled with...I can't even explain it. He was shocked, proud, and happy. I could tell that much.

"What do you mean by your father never beat you, but your dad did?"

"Well, that's the funny thing. I guess he didn't tell you before this started." I look his lawyer in the eye before continuing, "I just recently found out that Kagami Shijo had multi personality disorder." Almost simultaneously, everyone's eyes widened except for a select few.

As I explained, it seemed like everyone leaned forward in their seats just so they wouldn't miss a single detail. It took awhile before my last living family member started to talk to his lawyer, whispering what I hope is the word "insanity". I smile sadly as the young attorney stands up and announces the words I wished that I'd hear.

"We'd like to plead innocent by reasons of insanity." I close my eyes feeling relaxed at the statement, wondering if mom was looking down on us, smiling as well.

* * *

><p>After a couple of stressful hours and many questions later, the jury finally went to make their decision. I just leaned back in my chair as I watched my father twiddle his thumbs.<p>

"Pst. Hey, Taiga. You nervous?" I blink and turn my chair around to see Aomine leaning in to talk to me easier. I nod and lean in as well.

"Well, yeah. Wouldn't you be?" He shrugs slightly and gets to the main question that was on his mind.

"Do you want your dad to go to jail?" I look down and shake my head, worried that the Touou ace would get a little upset. But he didn't. He just smiled and patted my head.

"Yeah, I don't want him to go to jail either. He technically is innocent, right? I mean, he couldn't help it. Of course, I'm pissed that he even did those things to you, but I bet he regrets it. You are his son after all." I smile sadly and nod, sighing inwardly."Yeah...you're right." I peeked at the crimson haired man and saw that he was a wreck. He looked as if he hadn't showered in days . His hair was frayed at the ends of his almost perfect spikes and his eyes held no gleam in them like they used to.

It seemed that my father was able to finally overcome his other side, but at what cost? The guilt of knowing what you have done to your own son? The knowledge of what is going to happen next? What's the point of living when you have that on your shoulders? There is none.

I can understand that he wants to die, to repent his sins, but as long as my father is still himself inside, I will not let him end his life. Not to punish him. Not to give him a second chance. I want him to try and be a real father. I know it sounds selfish, but I can tell that he wants that too.

* * *

><p><strong>And done. NOT WITH THE STORY! But, it is coming to a close soon. Don't worry, didn't I promise you guys that there'd be a happy ending? And, I also am starting to work on a new story and I'm running it through...like, one of my awesomest friends. :D <strong>


	23. Chapter 23

**I don't know if this is gonna be the ending chapter or not, but we're getting close. Thank you to all of my awesome fans that I want to be friends with. :) After this story, I'm gonna message all of you that all left reviews on almost every chapter. Hell, I'll message all of you guys. I just want you guys to know how happy I am to know that y'all like my story.**

* * *

><p>It has been a year and a half since that day in the court room. A lot happened that day. Dad was hauled off to the mental hospital and I haven't seen him since. I started to go to therapy to get over all the trauma and was finally able to open all my Christmas and birthday presents. I went to my mothers grave for the first time in 8 years and got to tell her that I am finally able to forgive my father. Hell, I might even love him now. Only slightly though.<p>

Aomine asked me out and we've been together for a year now. Our relationship is pretty strange, but I love being with him. He makes me happy. And we get to play one-on-one everyday without having to have a reason. It's really nice to have him beside me too. Except...he brings up my childhood a lot whenever someone says something against me. It gets annoying sometimes. But I still love the idiot. That's all that matters, right?

Kyuseishu and I have gotten a lot closer. I like to think of him as an uncle now that I know how close him and my father were. We've made a commitment to always see each other at least once a week so that we don't lose that bond was created after the day at court. In short, I feel like I have been blessed to have memories like this that I still get to make.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Taiga. I gotta get home. My mom will flip out if I'm late for dinner again." I smile at Aomine and nod. He comes into the kitchen and wraps his arms around my waist, giving me a quick peck on the lips. I do the same and kiss him on the cheek.<p>

"Okay, I hope you get home safely. Love you." The tanner ace smiles and rubs his nose on mine before giving me another kiss on my forehead.

"I will, I will. Love you too." After those few parting words, he gathered his things and started home.

"I'll spend the night tomorrow. Good night, Taiga."

"Good night, Daiki." As the door shut, I went back to making my dinner. That's when someone knocked on the door. I sigh and open the door, thinking that it was Aomine who probably forgot something, but I was way off.

It was the one and only Kagami Shijo. Aka, my dad.

I gulp noticeably and motion for him to come in. He does and goes into the living room, standing there with his hands at his sides. We just looked at each other for what seemed like hours before he did something that he's never done before. Dad put his arms out, his intention to hug me. My eyes widen and I backed up a little before I saw his warm smile. That was the first time I have ever seen him act like this...and I couldn't be happier.

I smile back and hug my father, closing my eyes as he smiles more.

"I love you, Taiga. I am so proud of you and I'm very glad that you are my son."

* * *

><p>I look around the small college dorm room, a small smile on my face. There was a groan from behind me as my dad puts down the last box of my stuff next to my bed. He wipes his forehead and sits down with a sigh. I smile more and begin to unpack.<p>

"You know, this school is well known for making professional basketball players. But if that doesn't work, you can go into business with your old man!" I chuckle and nod, looking at my last family member from over my shoulder.

"That's the plan." He raises an eyebrow and smirks slightly.

"Is Aomine in that plan too?" I roll my eyes as he pretends to make out with someone that's not there.

"Shut up, dad. And, maybe." The older man laughs and gets to his feet, patting my head before he helps me unpack.

"Well, I'd be worried if you said no. I really like him and he would make a perfect husband for you!" I scowl and push him slightly, making him laugh.

"So, who's your roommate?" I shrug and put up a picture of me and Aomine on the wall next to my bed. It was from when we took our first trip together in the mountains. I remember how when my dad came to pick us up afterwards that he asked the Aho if we did it. Let's just say that his head hurt for the rest of the day. Both of theirs did.

I look up when I hear the dorm room door opened, revealing a very surprised Aomine. My eyes widen and I smile, jumping to my feet to give him a hug. He smiled as well and hugged me back.

"So, we're together after all, huh?" I nod and kiss him on the cheek. That's when his dad came in, a smirk on his face. I scowl when I hear a cat call from my dad. I kick him and pull away from Aomine, glaring at my father. He just smiles and gets up, looking at his watch.

"Well, looks like I'll be late if I don't head out right now. I love you Taiga and just remember, your mother and I are very proud of you." I smile, but before I could say goodbye, he reached into his pocket and pulls out a small box. I tilt my head slightly in confusion as he hands it to me.

"Speaking of your mother. This was a little something that she wanted to give you when you went off to college." My eyes widen and I unwrap the gift, lifting the lid to see a wrist watch. It was one of those older ones where you have to push a button to make the top come off so you can see the time.

Puzzled by why my mom would give me this, I open it. Once I saw what was inside, I almost burst into tears. I was very close, though. On the watch's glass, there was a small picture of all of us glued there. Mom and dad were holding me as they smile. I was only a baby. I couldn't help but smile. I close the watch and almost tackle my dad, making him stumble.

"Thank you so much! I love you, dad!" He just chuckles and hugs me back.

"I love you too, son."

* * *

><p>4 years after Aomine and I got out of college, we got married. Aomine was the one to propose. My answer, of course, was yes. After that day, we were known as the idiot couple on our basketball team.<p>

It's true, we both got on the same professional basketball team and went to America. And since dad's main company is in the states, it worked out perfectly. This way he wouldn't have to keep flying to Japan to see me.

It didn't take Aomine and I long to decide to adopt a child. Once we were qualified, we waited 9 months for a baby. It was a boy. We were allowed to name him, so I let Aomine pick.

10 years laters, and I'm here with my son, Hato, my husband, Daiki, and I. Dad comes over every week and plays with his grandson and always takes care of him whenever we're gone. He takes him to our games and has taught him so many things. It's been a great life if you don't count my earlier years. I'm happy with the way things turned out, and I never want anything to change.

* * *

><p><strong>The end. <strong>

**~Sweet-Lemonade**


End file.
